Quite frankly, as a devout fan of the original 1961 film version of West Side Story, I'm of the opinion that a remake of this great, golden oldie-but-keeper of a classic movie-musical never, ever should've been rebooted/remade. It was totally unnecessary, because the original 1961 film version of West Side Story is a great classic film that won 10 well-deserved Academy Awards, including Best Picture back in the fall of 1961 when it came out into the movie theatres. The people who said that there would never, ever be another film like that again were 100% right on their money.

Having said all of the above, I have seen a number of pictures of the cast, and of the background scenery, and I am not the least bit impressed by what I've seen. I've always been dead-set against re-makes/reboots of older classic films, generally, but I'm especially against the reboot/remake of the original 1961 film version of West Side Story. The Jets, the Sharks, their girls, Officer Krupke, Lt. Schrank, Tony, Maria, and even Candy Store owner Doc in the original 1961 film version of West Side Story look way rougher and tougher than the above characters in Steven Spielberg's upcoming reboot/remake of this great classic film. Moreover, the backdrop scenes in the new upcoming film version of West Side Story look far more like much tonier parts of a city, rather than an impoverished, rough-and-rundown part of an urban area.

Having said all of the above, I plan to vote my pocketbook and boycott Spielberg's new film of West Side Story, and not go to see it when it hits the movie theatres at around Christmastime of this year.

Re: Spielbergs West Side Story remake
 

Yeah, you basically said the same thing in your previous post last May. Seems almost copied word-for-word?

Hi, Citizen Rules! I hear you--and feel you here, and agree with you 100%! I'm not the least bit interested in seeing Spielberg's upcoming reboot/remake of the film West Side Story, and I will boycott it when it comes out into the movie theatres at around Christmastime of this year.

Some people think that I'm quite narrow-minded and biased, but that's their problem.

Re: Spielbergs West Side Story remake
 

This may be a bit off the subject, but I've read and heard some stuff about the upcoming Broadway stage revival of West Side Story--that there have been a number of protests being staged outside NYC's Broadway Theatre, because there are a number of people who want the cast member of this upcoming stage production who is playing the part of Shark Gangleader, Bernardo, removed due to sexual harassment; he took advantage of two teenaged girls, and showed other people nude pics of them without their permission, after having them in his hotel room. Granted, it was a mistake for the two teenaged girls to go into the guy's hotel room in the first place, but he had no right to take advantage of them in the way that he did. He sounds like a total douchebag who should be removed, and the production delayed, if need be, in order to do so.

I'm very interested in seeing what they are going to do with Maddie Ziegler, who is in this movie.


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Re: Spielbergs West Side Story remake
 

Steven Spielberg has done a number of really good movies, and I think he's far better at doing films that revolve around historical events. Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, The Post, and Munich are good examples, although E. T. Terrestrial and Raiders of the Lost Ark , which are not based on historical events, are good, too.

I've heard him sing somewhat. His voice is really not that great. Moreover, Ansel Elgort doesn't have either the looks or the personality, much less the charm and believability to play the part of West Side Story's Tony.

I hear you and feel you, gbgoodies! The original 1961 film version of West Side Story is a movie that I never get tired of watching over and over again. It always feels fresh and new to me, like I'm seeing it for the very first time, plus I never fail to notice at least one or two things in each viewing of the original 1961 film version of West Side Story that I failed to notice during a previous viewing of it.

Re: Steven Spielberg remaking West Side Story
 

Something tells me this will end up being the "Joker" of the next Oscar season, as in it will get most of the nominations.

No it won't. A LOT of the Academy members will feel negatively towards a remake of such a beloved classic. Spielberg sucks for even considering remaking WSS...But it's too bad we can't get Michael Bay to remake some of Spielberg's flops.

I have real mixed emotions about this too. I love the original film and really don't understand what Spielberg, a director with NO experience making musicals, thinks he can bring to this classic. On the other hand, Mary Poppins Returns wasn't as terrible as I imagined it was going to be, so I'm going to try and keep an open mind regarding this new West Side Story.

I agree though I’m not a fan of musical theater at all. Why do people tinker with classics that don’t need tinkering with?

I'm usually not a huge fan of musicals on film, but the original 1961 film version of West Side Story is a very rare exception, because it was successful on both stage and screen.

Having said the above, no matter who's rebooting/remaking the film version of West Side Story, the original 1961 film version of West Side Story is far too iconic and too much in a special class by itself to justify a reboot/remake of it by anybody, including Steven Spielberg.

Eeeeewwwwww! I sure as hell hope not!

Re: Steven Spielberg remaking West Side Story
 

Hollywood, at large, has run out of creative ideas, which is why sequels, reboots and remakes of older classic films are the "in" thing right now. It's sickening.

As a devout fan of the original 1961 film version of West Side Story, I am not the least bit enthusiastic about Spielberg's upcoming reboot/remake of this great, golden oldie-but-keeper of a classic movie musical. No matter how many people tell me to be open-minded about it, due to Spielberg's being at the helm, and how much Spielberg busted his hump for the past 15 years to get the rights to the film, I am totally unmoved.

Re: Steven Spielberg remaking West Side Story
 

How do we feel about rebooting the same posts over and over, though?

You make a good point. However it's not so much that Hollywood has run out of creative ideas as the reason for remakes of very popular films. They do it because it's a guarantee of ticket sales.

Hollywood is naturally interested in making big profits rather than making "art". If they can do some art within the framework of a big seller film, then that's fine.

I suspect that Spielberg's remake of the stage play story will be extremely well done. With the heavyweight, dream production team he has assembled, it's going to be impressive: https://amblin.com/movie/west-side-story/

Agreed. The 'blame' for the endless remakes/reboots/sequel/prequels that Hollywood churns out is the 'fault' of the audience. That's what they want. Most movie goers are younger and grew up on fast paced action video games and music videos, so it's not surprising more serious dramas take a back seat to superhero films and remakes of well known movies.

But to be fair, sequels and remakes have always been part of movie making even as far back as the silent era, so it's nothing new.

I don't love West Side Story as much as WSS does, but still remaking it feels like sacrilege to me. I'm not kidding when I say I'd rather see a reboot of Spielberg's E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial done by David Cronenberg. But that would never happen as Spielberg wouldn't allow it and fans of E.T. would mostly be cold to the idea.

Re: Steven Spielberg remaking West Side Story
 

It’s as Citizen says. Remakes as nothing new, and have been around since films first began.
Even The Maltese Falcon was a remake, after all.