News Analysis India

Tag: West Side Story

  • Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem to join hands for animated musical

    By Express News Service

    Last April, it was announced that West Side Story star Rachel Zegler would be lending her voice to a starring role in Apple’s upcoming animated musical feature Spellbound. The cast of the film has grown now and it will feature the voice talents of Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem and Nathan Lane.

    Spellbound is set to follow Zegler as Princess Ellian who finds herself on a mission to save her family and the people of her kingdom from turning into monsters. Kidman and Bardem are joining the film as the parents of the Princess. 

    Also joining the cast are John Lithgow and Jenifer Lewis. The pair will be lending their voices to ‘Minister Bolinar’ and ‘Minister Nazara Prone,’ two royal advisors to the princess. In her journey to save her family and kingdom, Princess Ellian seeks the help of “The Oracles of the Sun and Moon” voiced by a pair of Tony winners in Lane and André De Shields. Lastly, Jordan Fisher has also been announced to be joining the cast as a young nomad.

    Spellbound is being directed by Vicky Jenson who has previously directed the fan-favorite animated film Shrek. The film has been written by Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin, and Linda Woolverton. Spellbound is expected to be released on November 11, 2022. 

  • Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem and Nathan Lane to join hands for animated musical ‘Spellbound’

    By Express News Service

    Last April, it was announced that West Side Story star Rachel Zegler would be lending her voice to a starring role in Apple’s upcoming animated musical feature Spellbound. The cast of the film has grown now and it will feature the voice talents of Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem and Nathan Lane.

    Nicole Kidman and JavierBardemSpellbound is set to follow Zegler as Princess Ellian who finds herself on a mission to save her family and the people of her kingdom from turning into monsters. Kidman and Bardem are joining the film as the parents of the Princess. 

    Also joining the cast are John Lithgow and Jenifer Lewis. The pair will be lending their voices to ‘Minister Bolinar’ and ‘Minister Nazara Prone,’ two royal advisors to the princess. In her journey to save her family and kingdom, Princess Ellian seeks the help of “The Oracles of the Sun and Moon” voiced by a pair of Tony winners in Lane and André De Shields. Lastly, Jordan Fisher has also been announced to be joining the cast as a young nomad.

    Spellbound is being directed by Vicky Jenson who has previously directed the fan-favourite animated film Shrek. The film has been written by Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin, and Linda Woolverton. Spellbound is expected to be released on November 11, 2022. 

  • Rachel Zegler cast in ‘Hunger Games’ prequel as Lucy Gray Baird

    By IANS

    LOS ANEGLES: ‘West Side Story’ actor Rachel Zegler is set to star in ‘The Hunger Games’ prequel ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’.

    Zegler had prompted speculation about her casting after she tweeted on Monday night: “Listen up.. can y’all grow restfully? are you becoming an individual resting decisively?” As eagle-eyed fans pointed out, the first letter of each word in her tweet spells out the main character’s name, Lucy Gray Baird.

    https://t.co/CCjQ7DIncN pic.twitter.com/EXKXqnzLne
    — rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) May 31, 2022
    The movie is being adapted from Suzanne Collins’ 2020 book of the same name, which takes place decades before Katniss Everdeen’s adventures in ‘The Hunger Games’, reports ‘Variety’.

    That means Jennifer Lawrence, who shot to superstardom as the Girl on Fire, does not appear in the prequel story.

    Instead, ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ centres on Coriolanus Snow, an ambitious boy who eventually becomes the tyrannical leader of the dystopian country of Panem.

    As previously announced, Tom Blyth (‘Billy the Kid’ and ‘The Gilded Age’) will play the young Snow.

    In the upcoming movie, 18-year-old Snow is chosen to mentor Lucy Gray, the female tribute from the impoverished District 12, during the 10th Hunger Games.

    As introduced in ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy, which were developed into four feature films, the barbaric televised event randomly selects two teenagers from each district to fight to the death.

    In the novel, the unassuming Lucy Gray sparks everyone’s attention by singing during the reaping ceremony. With her talent and charm, Snow believes he may be able to turn the odds in their favour to win the games.

    Given Lucy Gray’s vocal prowess, it’s no surprise that Zegler, who beat out thousands to star as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed ‘West Side Story’ remake, landed the lead role in ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’.

    Zegler will appear next in ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ alongside Zachary Levi, Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu; and Disney’s live-action ‘Snow White’.

    “When you read Suzanne’s book, Lucy Gray’s emotional intelligence, physical agility, and fiercely powerful, determined singing voice shine through. Rachel embodies all of those skills – she is the perfect choice for our Lucy Gray,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Nathan Kahane.

    ‘Hunger Games’ veteran Francis Lawrence returned to direct the upcoming film, which will begin production later this year. Michael Arndt, who wrote the franchise’s second installment ‘Catching Fire’, was intended to write the screenplay, but he’s passed on duties to Michael Lesslie (‘Macbeth’, starring Michael Fassbender).

    “Like everybody, I first saw Rachel Zegler in ‘West Side Story,’ and like everybody, I knew I was watching a star who would command the screen for a generation,” said Francis Lawrence.

    “Lucy Gray is a perfect match for her as an actress: the character is bold, independent and defiant, but also vulnerable, emotional and loving. Rachel will make this character unforgettable.”

    Franchise producer Nina Jacobson and her producing partner Brad Simpson will oversee the latest ‘Hunger Games’ installment, along with Francis Lawrence. Collins, Tim Palen and Jim Miller will serve as executive producers.

    “Lucy Gray is an incredibly complex character, a performer who has to use every skill in her arsenal to survive,” Jacobson said. Our casting team, Deb Zane and Dylan Jury, spearheaded an exhaustive search, reading hundreds of actors in search of our perfect Lucy Gray.

    That search ended when Rachel Zegler blew the roof off with her depth and breadth of talent as an actor, singer and performer. Rachel is utterly compelling; just like Lucy Gray, her voice and charisma command the stage while her inner strength and humanity transform those around her.”

    ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ will be released in theatres on November 17.

  • ‘West Side Story’ star Rachel Zegler reveals she wasn’t invited to the Oscars 

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Actor Rachel Zegler has revealed that she will not be at the Oscars to support “West Side Story” as she was not invited to the ceremony on Sunday.

    The Steven Spielberg directed musical is nominated for seven Oscars, including the best picture at the movie gala.

    Zegler plays the role of Maria in Spielberg’s ambitious new adaptation of the 1957 musical of the same name, which was later turned into a successful Hollywood movie in 1961.

    Zegler spoke about the missing invite when a fan asked her what she planned to wear for the Oscars.

    “I’m not invited so sweatpants and my boyfriend’s flannel,” the actor said in her reply.

    The comments left many of the actor’s fans angry as it is normal for stars to attend the ceremony to support the film even if they did not receive a nomination.

    The actor later wrote, “IDK y’all I have tried it all but it doesn’t seem to be happening. I will root for ‘West Side Story’ from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago. I hope some last-minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate our film in person but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes, I guess. thanks for all the shock and outrage, I’m disappointed, too. but that’s OK. So proud of our movie.”

    The 94th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 27

  • Steven Spielberg won’t direct another musical after ‘West Side Story’

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who is one of the nominees for the Producers Guild of America (PGA) awards for his musical ‘West Side Story’, has said he will never direct another musical in his career, although he’ll be involved as a producer on some.He made the remarks at the annual breakfast with the nominees for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award at the Skirball Cultural Center. The theme of the panel was Spielberg.During the conversation, the two-time Oscar-winning director for ‘Schindler’s List’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan’ said he was currently co-producing the musical adaptation of ‘The Color Purple’ with Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks in the lead roles.He helmed the 1985 Alice Walker adaptation, which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won him his first DGA prize, though he failed to score an Oscar nomination for best director. The adoration for Spielberg and the overall gratitude from all of the nominated producers was beautifully pronounced at the event.In response to a question about how producers can be successful and enter the business, Spielberg replied by saying: “The smartest thing I do is hire women. I always have and always will. I believe in the power of the producer. You’re not just the leaders. You are therapists. I rely on someone stronger than me to produce.”He reflected on the challenge of getting the rights to ‘West Side Story’, going to lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s home saying: “His dogs were sniffing my crotch, and I was afraid to push them away (as) I didn’t want to offend him.”He was able to achieve his goal sharing that this was an opportunity to keep the Romeo and Juliet story alive for another 30 years. “My favourite channels are TCM and the Criterion Channel, but they don’t get the highest ratings.”One representative from each Producers Guild-nominated films took the stage for the in-person event – Todd Black, Philippe Rousselet, Mary Parent, Tim White, Sara Murphy, Tanya Seghatchian, Julie Oh and Spielberg, while Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Messick both appeared virtually via Zoom.Fisher opened by thanking everyone, telling the film producers in the room that they have “prevailed”; “They tried to kill us but couldn’t.”She also highlighted the diversity of this year’s crop of producing nominees, which includes nine female producers. Fisher indicated that nearly 50 per cent of the guild is composed of women, reports ‘Variety’. The support that was given by streaming giant Netflix was also a common talking point among its three nominated films.Tanya Seghatchian revealed the brilliance of her producing team, especially from ‘Power of the Dog’ director and writer Jane Campion.According to Variety’, the rights to the Thomas Savage novel had gone through multiple hands over the past 55 years, including classic actor Paul Newman, who was going to play the lead character Phil Burbank, portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in the final film.Julie Oh’s charisma shined the brightest on stage, speaking about the journey to bring composer Jonathan Larson’s stage musical: “There’s a reason there’s a Wikipedia page for development hell.”Oh attended one of only five performances that took place in New York starring Lin-Manuel Miranda. She initially wasn’t aware of the show and was surprised the rights were available.Kevin Messick talked about the “urgency for climate change” in ‘Don’t Look Up’ and how Adam McKay wrote the film with Jennifer Lawrence in mind. Most poignant was his answer for the roughest day of production; “the worst day was January 7,” referring to the January 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol.Todd Black spoke about wanting to make a movie about Lucille Ball’s life in 1995, but the comedian’s children didn’t want it at the time. He also shared he knew “Aaron Sorkin was the right man to write it” regarding the eight-year journey to get the film made.Philippe Rousselet started his opening remarks by acknowledging the strong year for movies. Discussing the journey to get ‘CODA’ made, and ultimately sold at Sundance for a record $25 million to Apple, he said: “It’s been the most extraordinary journey of my producer life.”Mary Parent had been watching the rights for ‘Dune’ go through various hands, waiting for the right opportunity to seize the moment.Parent almost hinted that ‘Dune: Part II’ is “not a sequel. It’s half of the story”.’King Richard’ producer Tim White recalled seeing the real life Richard Williams, who is played in the film by best actor frontrunner Will Smith, holding signs at a 1999 tennis match in Miami, well before he knew he wanted to make movies.Sara Murphy talked about the story of ‘Licorice Pizza’ ruminating in writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson’s mind for a long time. Branagh championed his three female producers — Laura Berwick, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas — and recalled everyone’s availability during the pandemic.He heard back from two of his stars, Caitrona Balfe and Jamie Dornan, within hours of sending them an initial email regarding the project. Branagh also recalled showing the semi-autobiographical ‘Belfast’ to his family.”There was Tremendous uncertainty. The most difficult moment was showing this personal story about my family, to my family. My brother saying that things that I say happened to me, happened to him.”

  • SAG Awards 2022: Ariana DeBose wins maiden award for supporting role

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood actress Ariana DeBose took home the award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role for “West Side Story” at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Sunday.She was nominated alongside Caitriona Balfe, Cate Blanchett, Kirsten Dunst and Ruth Negga. The award marked DeBose’s first nomination and win.In “West Side Story”, DeBose portrays Anita, a San Juan Hill seamstress and the older sister to the movie’s female lead Maria.The film reimagines the classic story of forbidden love between star-crossed lovers Maria (Zegler) and Tony (Ansel Elgort) and the rivalry between teen gangs, the Jets and Sharks, set in the backdrop of mid-1950s New York.”It’s taken a long time for me to feel comfortable calling myself an actor. My roots come from the dance world and the Broadway stage,” she said.

    ALSO READ | SAG Awards 2022: Lee Jung Jae, Jung Ho Yeon win top honours for ‘Squid Game’Talking about the film, she said: “The Anita that we see on the screen, took every bit of me, but she took 10 years to make and I’m extremely proud of her and of our film. And I really do believe that when you recognise one of us, you recognise all of us in a way.”She later thanked director Steven Spielberg for “believing in the possibility of not only my talent but of that of my colleagues” and her cast and crew which represented a “labour of love” and “beautiful cinematic experience”.She finished her speech by thanking all those in attendance at the SAG Awards: “I have watched so many of you for a very long time. You inspire me and you continue to do so and I am just thrilled to be among you.”DeBose’s win comes amid the actress receiving her first Oscar nomination for best supporting actress, reports hollywoodreporter.com.She has already won a Golden Globe for the role.

  • ‘No Time to Die’ joins awards-circuit favourites ‘Belfast’, ‘The Power of the Dog’ on BAFTA longlists

    By IANS

    LONDON: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has revealed its longlists of nominees across 24 categories for its upcoming film awards, reports ‘Variety’.’No Time to Die’, ‘Belfast’, ‘West Side Story’, ‘The Power of the Dog’ and ‘Don’t Look Up’ are among the leading films announced on Wednesday following the first round of votes. Of the 217 films submitted for consideration, 15 made the cut for Round Two.As reported by ‘Variety’ on Monday, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ was not included in any longlist after “failing to meet eligibility criteria”, according to BAFTA. The film’s producers had originally sought that it be considered for the best picture and best special effects categories.Among the 15 leading actresses who made it to Round Two, the prominent names include Olivia Colman (‘The Lost Daughter’), Lady Gaga (‘House of Gucci’), Alana Haim (‘Licorice Pizza’), Jennifer Hudson (‘Respect’), Emilia Jones (‘CODA’) and Nicole Kidman (‘Being The Ricardos’).The 15 actors in the longlist include two British Pakistanis — Riz Ahmed (‘Encounter’) and Adeel Akhtar ‘Ali & Ava’ — Mahershala Ali (‘Swan Song’), Javier Bardem (‘Being The Ricardos’), Daniel Craig (‘No Time To Die’), Benedict Cumberbatch (‘The Power of the Dog’) and Leonardo DiCaprio (‘Don’t Look Up’).Round Two voting, to determine the nominations in the member-voted categories, will be open from January 14 to 27. The nominations will then be announced on February 3. This will be followed by Round Three voting, to determine the winners, which will open on February 9 and continue till March 8. 

  • Golden Globes 2022: Ariana DeBose wins Best Supporting Actress for ‘West Side Story’

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: American actor Ariana DeBose took home the Golden Globe 2022 for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for her portrayal of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s musical ‘West Side Story’.

    This was the first time that Ariana was nominated for a Golden Globe, and the actor ended up winning the accolade.

    For this particular category, Caitriona Balfe (Belfast), Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog), Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard), and Ruth Negga (Passing) were nominated alongside DeBose.

    ‘West Side Story’ is an American musical romantic drama film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Tony Kushner. It is the second feature-length adaptation of the 1957 stage musical of the same name.

    The movie stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler with Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, and Rita Moreno in supporting roles.

    The nominations for the 79th Golden Globes were announced on December 13, 2021. Various media organisations including US broadcaster NBC, and streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon, and Warner Media are boycotting the ceremony over the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s (HFPA) lack of action to increase the membership diversity of the organisation.

    The HFPA is holding the ceremony in private and the winners are being announced online. ‘Belfast’ and ‘The Power of the Dog’ received seven nominations each while ‘King Richard’, ‘Licorice Pizza’, and ‘West Side Story’ received four nominations each.

    When it comes to television, HBO drama ‘Succession’ led with five nominations while Apple TV+ ‘Ted Lasso’ and ‘The Morning Show’ got four nominations each. 

  • Lin Manuel-Miranda wanted musicals for Latino characters

    By IANS

    Actor-filmmaker Lin Manuel-Miranda wanted to write musicals for Latino characters after fearing his ethnicity would prevent him from getting into the industry.

    He said: “The only reason I started writing was because I loved musicals, but I couldn’t see a way in. I wanted a life in musicals but beyond ‘West Side Story’, I didn’t see one – not for Latino dudes. You can play any part you want in a school play, but in the real world you get put in a box.”

    The three-time Tony winner went on to reveal that he wrote the musical ‘In the Heights’ – which is based on the New York neighbourhood Washington Heights that Lin grew up in and still resides in today – was written out of “fear”, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

    Speaking to Red Magazine, he said: “(‘In the Heights’) was really written out of fear. I wrote it because I wanted to write roles for Latino characters and I was writing it to fill a void.”

    “I set it in the most musical place I know, which is Washington Heights, and I was inspired by the music that you would hear up here – salsa, merengue, hip hop and bachata.”

    As well as being the composer behind the hit musical ‘Hamilton’, which utilises an all-black cast to retell the story of Alexander Hamilton – Lin opened up about working on the Disney film ‘Encanto’, which centres on a magical Colombian family and for which he has composed eight musical numbers.

    He said: “I wanted to help put a huge Latino family on screen and to widen the doors in my own corner of the world. But it’s not some kind of grand academic thesis statement as much as it is keeping promises to your inner child.”

  • Steven Spielberg ‘West Side Story’ debuts weakly with USD 10.5 million

    By Associated Press

    NEW YORK: Despite critical acclaim and two years worth of anticipation, Steven Spielberg’s lavish “West Side Story” revival made little noise at the box office, debuting with $10.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday — a worrisome result for a movie industry struggling to recapture its finger-snapping rhythm.

    A dazzling widescreen adaptation and Spielberg’s first musical, “West Side Story” was one of the year’s most eagerly awaited titles. With a script by Tony Kushner and Rita Moreno returning to her breakthrough film 60 years later, the $100-million “West Side Story” epitomizes a grand-scale prestige film that Hollywood infrequently produces anymore. It hit theaters on a wave of glowing reviews and expectations that it could play a starring role in March’s Academy Awards.

    But “West Side Story” faced a challenging marketplace for both adult-driven releases and musicals. Audiences have steadily returned to multiplexes in the second year of the pandemic, but older moviegoers, who made up the bulk of ticket-buyers for Spielberg’s latest, have been among the slowest to return.

    Musicals, too, have struggled to catch on in theaters. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” launched with $11 million in June but the Warner Bros. release simultaneously streamed on HBO Max. The critically panned “Dear Evan Hansen,” from Universal, debuted with $7.4 million in September.

    But this was Spielberg. If anyone could reignite moviegoing, the thinking went, it was him. Surely, one of the movies’ dazzling craftsmen, a director synonymous with box office, could spark a fuller revival in theaters. “West Side Story,” too, is among the most beloved musicals. 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” 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. 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.

    But the muted reception for “West Side Story” will concern the industry. Hopes had long been pinned on Spielberg, with his song-and-dance spectacular, to bring back some of the movies’ mojo. Instead, little right now outside of Marvel releases is finding big audiences. Many moviegoers simply haven’t returned yet.

    “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. “That will wane over time, but it is concerning for filmmakers and studios.”

    “But I don’t think this is the final act for ‘West Side Story,’” added Dergarabedian. “A lot of people counted out ‘The Greatest Showman.’”

    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. During the pandemic, though, movies have faded quickly at the multiplex, and often been steered more quickly to streaming or home release.

    Starring newcomer Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort as Maria and Tony, “West Side Story” took in $4.4 million in 37 overseas territories. Because the film includes a transgender character, it was banned in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait.

    David A. Gross, who runs the movie consultancy Franchise Entertainment, called the opening “soft.”

    “If ‘West Side Story’ is going to be profitable, it will need to connect internationally as well domestically,” Gross said in an email. “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.”

    Spielberg’s film was a long time coming. Its release was delayed a year by the pandemic. It was developed at 20th Century Fox, which was acquired by the Walt Disney Co. shortly before production began. Days before its Lincoln Center premiere, the musical’s revered lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, died at the age of 91.

    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. It grossed $9.6 from Friday to Sunday, bringing its cumulative total to $71.3 million domestically and $80.5 million internationally.

    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.

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    1. “West Side Story,” $10.5 million.

    2. “Encanto,” $9.4 million.

    3. “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” $7.1 million.

    4. “House of Gucci,” $4.1 million.

    5. “Eternals,” $3.1 million.

    6. “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City,” $1.7 million.

    7. “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” $1.3 million.

    8. “Christmas With the Chosen,” $1.3 million.

    9. “Dune,” $857,000.

    10. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” $850,000.