Here's the first look at Steven Spielberg's 'West Side Story' remake

Musical fans (and people who like joy and happiness) rejoice! The first look at Steven Spielberg's upcoming West Side Story remake is here and the visuals are stunning. We have Ansel Elgort and Hollywood newcomer Rachel Zegler as star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria. We have So You Think You Can Dance? alum Ariana DeBose as the tour de force that is Anita. And, best of all, we have OG Anita, Rita Moreno in the all-new written-specifically-for-her role of Valentina.From the first pics, it's clear this new film will be as visually dazzling as the original 1961 adaptation with epic dance sequences and impeccable costuming. Plus, it's sure to introduce us to some new faves with a virtually unknown Maria taking centre stage and a number of dancers (including a Canadian!) earning other major roles.The first-look photos appear in Vanity Fair's feature, in which Spielberg talks about everything from the beauty of the source material, his dedication to cultural accuracy and why the six-decade-old story is just as relevant now as it was when it debuted on Broadway in 1957.

FIRST LOOK: Steven Spielberg’s #WestSideStoryMovie brings Tony, Maria, the Jets, and the Sharks (not to mention Rita Moreno!) back to the big screen. Here’s your exclusive look at an American classic reimagined for our time. https://t.co/hihlglBojo

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) March 16, 2020

"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," he said. "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."

 

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✨toniiiiiight✨12/18/2020✨more at @vanityfair ✨

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Elgort's Tony is looking as effortlessly handsome as ever and Zegler's optimistic Maria is practically glowing. Spielberg discovered teenage Zegler early in 2019 after her absolutely jaw-dropping vocal skills went viral. We're already reeling at how breathtaking these two are going to be singing "Tonight." *Swoon*.Aside from all the fresh talent this movie is brimming with, something just as exciting is the return of Rita Moreno as not only the specially-written Valentina, but also executive producer. She spent her time on set coaching the Sharks and, in her words, using "bad language" to explain just how high the stakes were for them being Latinx in New York City. She also took the new Anita (who has possibly the coolest acting credit ever, "The Bullet from Hamilton," to her name) under her wing. "She is a ferocious dancer—way, way better than I was," she said of DeBose.[video_embed id='1916736']RELATED: One of the stars of The Donna Summer Musical performs ‘Last Dance’[/video_embed]For those who don't know the plot intricacies, WSS tells the Romeo and Juliet-inspired tale of Tony and Maria—two lovers divided by gang affiliations— amidst a backdrop of 1960s New York. Beneath the gritty gang rivalry lies an even stronger message about racism and the immigrant experience as the Puerto Rican Sharks gang struggles to make its way in its adopted American home. Spielberg assures audiences that he was careful to cast Puerto Rican and Latinx dancers and actors in those roles, which brought a deeper authenticity to the film. You may recall that the original mostly used white actors who were put in brownface makeup, with even Puerto Rican Moreno revealing her skintone was darkened for the role.Moreno is still the only Latinx actor to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her West Side Story performance. Her 2020 role will be as an adult peacekeeper who owns the local diner.Canada has contributed some major talent to the film, too. Anita's male love interest and leader of the Sharks gang, Bernardo, is played by Montreal-born actor and dancer, David Alvarez who is best known for his Tony Award-winning role as one of the original Billy Elliots in Billy Elliot the Musical. Is it December 18 yet?[video_embed id='1921960']BEFORE YOU GO: Could Bachelor Pete’s mom be the reason he and Madison barely lasted two days?[/video_embed]