The first trailer for Steven Spielberg's West Side Story will be released on Sunday during the Oscars. Spielberg expressed his interest in remaking the hit 1961 musical multiple times over the years, but it wasn't until 2018 that the movie started to gain traction under 20th Century Fox. Ansel Elgort was cast in the lead role of Tony and newcomer Rachel Zegler was brought on to play Maria. The movie entered production in the summer of 2019, a few months after Walt Disney Studios officially purchased 20th Century Fox.
Steven Spielberg's West Side Story started its marketing campaign fairly early. The movie originally had a Christmas 2020 release date and official images of Spielberg's musical remake were released during filming. More colorful images of the elaborate production were released in March 2020, but that was before COVID-19 forced West Side Story to be delayed as part of the massive changes to Disney's release slate. The movie eventually settled on a December 2021 release date, one that is now rapidly approaching and should be set in stone.
With only eight months to go before West Side Story debuts in theaters, The Wrap reports the first trailer for Steven Spielberg's remake is imminent. The outlet shares that Disney plans to debut the first trailer on Sunday during the Oscars. The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony starts at 8 pm EST, but it is unknown when exactly the West Side Story trailer will air. Ariana DeBose, who plays Anita in the film, will reportedly introduce the long-awaited footage during the telecast.
As the latest Spielberg movie and a remake of a classic Oscar-winning film, there is great anticipation to see West Side Story's trailer. This is the first musical that Spielberg has done and many cinephiles are quite curious to see what he does with the genre. The early West Side Story images show vibrant 1950s costumes and major song and dance sequences, but it will be great to finally see them in motion once the trailer arrives.
Disney's decision to release the first West Side Story during the Oscars could be an early way for them to get the movie in the minds of Academy voters. Steven Spielberg's movies are almost always in the mix for awards. He's directed ten Best Picture nominees, but only Schindler's List has taken home the top prize. Meanwhile, Spielberg has been nominated for Best Director seven times and won twice, for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. With more than two decades passing since Spielberg has won an Oscar, a great first trailer for West Side Story airing during the 2021 ceremony can start the campaign to get the movie and Spielberg some nominations and wins in 2022.
Source: The Wrap
