Rather than re-modernize the play modern day, Spielberg is faithful to the 1950 setting, going so far as to shoot it on film in a way that just looks like it could have been shot back then. Their power struggle is complicated when a Jet named Tony falls in love with Maria, sister of the head of the Sharks. The original version, conceived of by Jerome Robbins, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and book by Arthur Laurents, modernized Shakespeare’s famed love story to be about rival street gangs in New York in the 1950s - the Jets, who were white Americans, and the Sharks, who were Puerto Rican. Spielberg, though, grew up with the music of the original stage version, and felt a 60-year gap between the films was enough time to justify his own take on the material. The play, based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, was famously adapted into a film version in 1961 that won the Oscar for Best Picture, so there were serious doubts over whether a modern remake was even necessary. Stars Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Brian d’Arcy James, Corey Stoll, Josh Andrés Rivera, Rita Moreno.ĭirector Steven Spielberg tries his hand at filming a feature-length musical for the first time in his career with a fresh adaptation of the acclaimed 1957 stage version that played on Broadway. Rated ‘PG-13’ for some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material and brief smoking. The weekend's only other new wide release – STX Films' college football drama “National Champions” – went largely unnoticed, pulling in $300,000 in 1,197 theaters.$29.99 DVD, $35.99 Blu-ray, $43.99 UHD BD It grossed $9.6 from Friday to Sunday, bringing its cumulative total to $71.3 million domestically and $80.5 million internationally. Second place for the weekend went to Disney's animated “Encanto,” which held strongly in its third week, dropping only 27% from the previous weekend. Days before its Lincoln Center premiere, the musical’s revered lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, died at the age of 91. It was developed at 20th Century Fox, which was acquired by the Walt Disney Co. Its release was delayed a year by the pandemic. “So far, the first European openings have been good, but this is going to be a challenge with moviegoing conditions as difficult as they are.” “If ‘West Side Story’ is going to be profitable, it will need to connect internationally as well domestically,” Gross said in an email. Gross, who runs the movie consultancy Franchise Entertainment, called the opening "soft.” ![]() Because the film includes a transgender character, it was banned in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait.ĭavid A. Starring newcomer Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort as Maria and Tony, “West Side Story” took in $4.4 million in 37 overseas territories. During the pandemic, though, movies have faded quickly at the multiplex, and often been steered more quickly to streaming or home release. That 2017 release launched with a modest $8.8 million opening weekend before enjoying a rare, lengthy run that made it, with $435 million worldwide, one of the highest grossing live-action musicals ever. “A lot of people counted out ‘The Greatest Showman.’” “But I don't think this is the final act for ‘West Side Story,'” added Dergarabedian. “That will wane over time, but it is concerning for filmmakers and studios.” “To draw moviegoers to adult dramas in huge numbers right now seems like a pretty heavy lift,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. Many moviegoers simply haven't returned yet. Instead, little right now outside of Marvel releases is finding big audiences. Hopes had long been pinned on Spielberg, with his song-and-dance spectacular, to bring back some of the movies' mojo. Film executives are hoping the spreading omicron variant of COVID-19 doesn't set the box office back just as Hollywood is nearing its most profitable period.īut the muted reception for “West Side Story” will concern the industry. “West Side Story” can still be expected to play well through the lucrative holiday corridor, during which younger-skewing films like “Spider-Man: No Way Home” – expected to next weekend become the first pandemic release to open with $100 million or more domestically – and "Sing 2” will likely be the top draws. ![]() ![]() The 1961 film, directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, made $43.7 million (or about $400 million adjusted for inflation) and won 10 Oscars, including best picture. “West Side Story,” too, is among the most beloved musicals. Surely, one of the movies' dazzling craftspeople, a director synonymous with box office, could spark a fuller revival in theaters. If anyone could reignite moviegoing, the thinking went, it was him.
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