Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story
Ansel Elgort is going to be singing and dancing his way into the hearts of fans worldwide.
The Baby Driver star, 24, just nabbed the male lead role in Steven Spielberg’s anticipated remake of West Side Story, multiple outlets confirm.
With a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner (Angels in America), this latest take on the iconic 1957 Broadway musical, which was adapted into a movie in 1961, will star Elgort as Tony, the founder of the Jets, a teenage street gang.
He takes over the role from Larry Kert in the original musical, and Richard Beymer who played him in the film.
Inspired by Williams Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story famously centers on the rivalry between young street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. The film adaptation won 10 Oscars, including best picture and best director.
Maria, the Juliet to Tony’s Romeo, has yet to be cast.
Elgort has experience in the singing arena. Before making his breakout performance in 2014’s The Fault in Our Stars, Elgort was popular in the electronic dance music scene, performing under the name Ansolo. His latest single, “Supernova,” was released in January.
As for film projects, the New York-born actor will next be seen in the adaptation of the hit book The Goldfinch, out Oct. 11, 2019.
West Side Story is set to begin filming in 2019.
