Steven Spielberg has chosen his Tony.
Ansel Elgort has just landed his next major role starring as Tony in Spielberg’s remake of the classic Broadway musical West Side Story. The casting was confirmed by the producers on Monday.
The original film starred Richard Beymer as Tony and featured a big cast including Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, Rita Moreno, and Russ Tamblyn. The 1961 big screen version won 10 Academy Awards—including Best Picture.
West Side Story, originally inspired by Romeo and Juliet follows the rivalry between two street gangs, the white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. The rivalry deepens when Tony, a former jet, falls for Maria, the sister of the Sharks’ leader.
Tony Kushner adapted the script from the original Broadway book written by Arthur Laurents, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics from Stephen Sondheim. Spielberg, Kevin McCollum and Kristie Macosko Krieger will produce the movie.
