Theatre News

Corey Stoll and Brian d'Arcy James join Steven Spielberg's West Side Story film

Big names will take on iconic roles in Spielberg’s new film, which has now got an official release date

Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
(© STEVEN SPIELBERG by Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 2.0)

Full casting and a release date has been announced for Steven Spielberg's West Side Story film, which is expected to begin shooting in summer 2019.

It has been confirmed by Walt Disney Studios that the film will be released on 18 December 2020. Disney have taken over distribution of the film following the acquisition of Fox properties earlier this year.

According to Deadline, joining the previously announced two leads Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler in the film will be Ant-Man and Midnight in Paris' Corey Stoll and three-time Tony-nominee Brian dʼArcy James, who was the original King George in Hamilton at the Public Theater.

Stoll will play the fearsome Lieutenant Schrank, who clamps down on the gang activity, while dʼArcy James will take on the role of the iconic Officer Krupke.

The pair join Ariana DeBose (Anita), David Alvarez (Bernardo), Rita Moreno (Valentina) and Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino) in supporting Elgort and Zegler in the film.

Set in 1950s New York, the classic musical tells of the gang rivalry between the New York Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. It is loosely based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and features classic numbers including "I Feel Pretty", "Something's Coming", "America", "Cool" and "Tonight". It has music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and conception and choreography by Jerome Robbins.

The original film came out in 1961 and starred Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris. It went on to win ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The Sharks ensemble in the film includes David Aviles Morales, Yesenia Ayala, María Alejandra Castillo, Annelise Cepero, Andrei Chagas, Jeanette Delgado, Kelvin Delgado, Gaby Diaz, Yurel Echezarreta, Adriel Flete, Carlos E. Gonzalez, David Guzman, Jacob Guzman, Ana Isabelle, Melody Martí, Ilda Mason, Juliette Feliciano Ortiz, Edriz E. Rosa Pérez, Maria Alexis Rodriguez, Julius Anthony Rubio, Carlos Sánchez Falú, Sebastian Serra, Gabriela Soto, Ricky Ubeda, Tanairi Vazquez, Jamila Velazquez, Isabella Ward, and Ricardo Zayas.

The Jets include Brianna Abruzzo, Kyle Allen, Kyle Coffman, Ben Cook, Harrison Coll, Kevin Csolak, Kellie Drobnick, Julian Elia, Myles Erlick, Leigh-Ann Esty, Sara Esty, Mike Faist, John Michael Fiumara, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Garett Hawe, Patrick Higgins, Sean Harrison Jones, Eloise Kropp, Lauren Leach, Jess LeProtto, Skye Mattox, Ezra Menas, Adriana Pierce, Brittany Pollack, Daniel Patrick Russell, Talia Ryder, Jonalyn Saxer, Halli Toland, and Maddie Ziegler.