After hopping from prestige drama The Post to CGI-heavy action blockbuster Ready Player One, Steven Spielberg is planning another gear shift for his next project. Instead of cooling his jets and taking a break, he’s heading back to shark territory — but not in the Jaws sense. Yes, Spielberg looks to be helming a remake of West Side Story.
News of a fresh adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s New York street gang musical, which famously hit the big screen in 1961, comes via an open casting call for the four lead roles of Tony, Maria, Anita and Bernardo. According to the Tweet, Tony Kushner — who also worked with Spielberg on Lincoln and Munich — is set to adapt the screenplay.
If the project goes ahead — Spielberg’s upcoming slate also includes the next Indiana Jones and historical drama The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara — it would mark the legendary director’s first full musical. The closest he’s ever got in the past is the Busby Berkeley-inspired opening number in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Stay tuned for more info on where Spielberg’s West Side Story goes next — if, indeed, it remains his next project. Oh, and if you’ve got a good set of lungs and are between 15 and 25, you could be in with a shot of a lead role. Good luck.
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