The First Trailer for Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ Is Here

The first trailer for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story debuted during the 2021 Oscars broadcast, and it was completely captivating. 

Gorgeously shot and meticulously choreographed, these two-plus minutes prove Spielberg has created a true piece of art. Watch it for yourself, below, then we can discuss. 

West Side Story stars Rachel Zegler as Maria, Ansel Elgort as Tony, and Ariana DeBose as Anita. “I just absolutely loved the music,” DeBose told Vanity Fair. “Every time a number started, I couldn’t help but get up and dance with them. I would say that the music of West Side Story has always lived inside of me.”

She continued, “I grew up watching the film and I just fell in love with the woman in the purple dress. [Rita Moreno as Anita in the 1961 film.] Even before I really understood what the story was about, I knew that I loved what she was doing. As I grew up, I discovered who she was and her name was Rita Moreno, and she looked like me. She was one of the first women onscreen that actually had skin color that was close to mine—especially in a film made at that time, where there weren’t many women of color on the screen. That was very influential on me during my childhood.”

Spielberg told Vanity Fair about his adaptation, “This story is not only a product of its time, but that time has returned, and it’s returned with a kind of social fury. I really wanted to tell that Puerto Rican, Nuyorican experience of basically the migration to this country and the struggle to make a living, and to have children, and to battle against the obstacles of xenophobia and racial prejudice.”

However, the film does have controversy around it. In summer 2020, Ansel Elgort was accused of sexual assault. He released a statement to Instagram denying the allegations. 

The film is expected to hit theaters on December 10.