The year is starting to wind down and for movies that means we are in the heart of the Oscar season. One of the films looking to go for the gold is the upcoming Steven Spielberg remake of West Side Story. With almost a month left until the film's release, 20th Century Studios has released a new teaser that reminds the audience of the classic conflict at the heart of the story.
The teaser, entitled “Trouble,” sounds the alarms and raises the tension in more ways than one. The footage shuts down the West Side as the rivalry between the Sharks and Jets comes to a head. We see the iconic moment in the story where both gangs ominously walk towards each other for a battle that was fated in bloodshed from the start. With phrases like, “it’s happening tonight," and, “do you want to start World War 3," the emotional stakes come to a boiling point in this teaser.
While other trailers and footage have focused on the glossier side of the forbidden Romeo and Juliet romance between Ansel Elgort's Tony and Rachel Zegler’s Maria, this teaser showcases that storyline through a somber lens. Even though this is an iconic story in this day in age, the audience is reminded of the darkness that lies in the heart of the story and the consequences that a romance like this can have in a community like the West Side. The somber trailer proclaims that in “a city divided, their love will change everything” and the themes of racism as well as hateful divide are topics that are still very much relevant to today's society.
This critically acclaimed 1957 Broadway musical had music by the legendary Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, which made the story an instant hit. West Side Story first made its way to the big screen in 1961 directed by Robert Wise and made actress Rita Moreno a star, and earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. The first film adaptation went on to also win 10 out of the 11 Oscars it was nominated for, including Best Picture and Best Director. Spielberg looks to bring the same magical success for this remake, which also sees Moreno return as an executive producer and as the character Valentina, a role that was made specifically for this adaptation.
The Sharks and Jets war has been reignited with this darker-toned teaser. West Side Story comes to theaters on December 10 and it is directed by Spielberg and written by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award Winner Tony Kushner. Check out the new trailer for West Side Story below.