Anastasia.François Truffaut saved his most pointed barb for last. Ending a short review in 1957 with a kiss-off, the notoriously venomous critic urges: “Anatole Litvak despises you; despise him back.”1 He was writing about Anastasia (1956), “a most mediocre film which has for its theme a historical enigma, one of the stupidest and emptiest subjects in a category that never fails to fill the theaters.” Anastasia certainly filled the Jolly Cinema in Bologna this June, the opening night film in Il Cinema Ritrovato’s centerpiece retrospective on the Ukrainian filmmaker, himself something of a historical enigma.The selection made for a curious introduction to the first major showcase for a director billed in the festival’s program preview as “an unjustly overlooked master…[who] made some of the most riveting and innovative films in the history of cinema.” It’s on such approbative epistles that flights are hastily booked, festival passes acquired,...
- 10/11/2024
- MUBI
Audra McDonald will reopen Broadway’s Majestic Theatre with a new production of Gypsy.
McDonald will play Rose, one of the top roles in musical theater, which has been played by the likes of Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone. George C. Wolfe, a five time Tony-Award winning director, will helm the revival. Camille A. Brown (Hell’s Kitchen) has been tapped as choreographer.
Performances begin Nov. 21, with an opening night Dec. 19. This production will be the first to play the Majestic Theatre, which was the longtime home to The Phantom of the Opera. The theater closed for renovations after the production ended its 35-year run in April 2023.
McDonald is a six-time Tony Award winning actor, with wins for her roles in Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She...
McDonald will play Rose, one of the top roles in musical theater, which has been played by the likes of Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone. George C. Wolfe, a five time Tony-Award winning director, will helm the revival. Camille A. Brown (Hell’s Kitchen) has been tapped as choreographer.
Performances begin Nov. 21, with an opening night Dec. 19. This production will be the first to play the Majestic Theatre, which was the longtime home to The Phantom of the Opera. The theater closed for renovations after the production ended its 35-year run in April 2023.
McDonald is a six-time Tony Award winning actor, with wins for her roles in Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She...
- 5/29/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Gotham Awards will honor Maestro, the upcoming Netflix film by Bradley Cooper, with its new Cultural Icon & Creator Tribute that recognizes cultural icons and filmmakers responsible for bringing their story to life.
The tribute, created for this year’s ceremony, “will honor New York legend Leonard Bernstein, the acclaimed musician, conductor, composer, teacher, and author, while celebrating Cooper and his masterful effort cinematically capturing his story,” the Gotham Film & Media Institute said today.
‘Air’ To Receive Tribute At Gotham Awards Recognizing Both The Ben Affleck-Directed Film And The Team Behind Michael Jordan Shoe Phenomenon
“With Maestro, Bradley Cooper and the film’s entire creative team have vividly brought to life the story of an almost mythical figure in popular culture,” said Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of the Institute, which hosts the awards. “Cooper has crafted a powerful story that highlights the ecstatic highs and anguished lows that...
The tribute, created for this year’s ceremony, “will honor New York legend Leonard Bernstein, the acclaimed musician, conductor, composer, teacher, and author, while celebrating Cooper and his masterful effort cinematically capturing his story,” the Gotham Film & Media Institute said today.
‘Air’ To Receive Tribute At Gotham Awards Recognizing Both The Ben Affleck-Directed Film And The Team Behind Michael Jordan Shoe Phenomenon
“With Maestro, Bradley Cooper and the film’s entire creative team have vividly brought to life the story of an almost mythical figure in popular culture,” said Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of the Institute, which hosts the awards. “Cooper has crafted a powerful story that highlights the ecstatic highs and anguished lows that...
- 10/19/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
“Arthur remembers it being a 125 pages. I remember reading a 50-page treatment,” said Barbra Streisand. Regardless of how many pages of a synopsis, or an outline or a so-called “treatment,” that Arthur Laurents had written, Streisand wanted those pages, titled “The Way We Were.” Better yet, she wanted them now. “I fell in love with it!” she gushed.
More important, Streisand put her enthusiasm into the only words that count in Hollywood. “I want this to be my next movie,” she told the producer Ray Stark. Stark had produced “Funny Girl” on Broadway and also brought it to the screen, with Streisand reprising the role of Fanny Brice, who happened to be the producer’s mother-in-law. The New York theater had long been home to Jewish artists who refused to hide their heritage. The movies, not so much. Streisand in the movie “Funny Girl” was historic, a Jewish actress playing a proudly Jewish character.
More important, Streisand put her enthusiasm into the only words that count in Hollywood. “I want this to be my next movie,” she told the producer Ray Stark. Stark had produced “Funny Girl” on Broadway and also brought it to the screen, with Streisand reprising the role of Fanny Brice, who happened to be the producer’s mother-in-law. The New York theater had long been home to Jewish artists who refused to hide their heritage. The movies, not so much. Streisand in the movie “Funny Girl” was historic, a Jewish actress playing a proudly Jewish character.
- 1/20/2023
- by Robert Hofler
- The Wrap
Hubbell’s girl may be lovely, but Robert Redford’s co-star on “The Way We Were” allegedly wasn’t, according to the actor.
In an oral history of the iconic 1973 romance “The Way We Were,” director Sydney Pollack recalled Redford voicing his concerns over working with Barbra Streisand due to her perceived “controlling” reputation on set.
“She has never been tested,” Redford told Pollack, according to Robert Hofler’s “The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen,” on sale January 24, 2023. “Her reputation is as a very controlling person. She will direct herself. It’ll never work.” While director Sydney Pollack died in 2008, author Hofler compiled years of past interviews for the book.
Redford was particularly concerned with the “Funny Girl” Oscar winner’s musical background, saying, “She’s not going to sing, is she? I [don’t] want her to sing...
In an oral history of the iconic 1973 romance “The Way We Were,” director Sydney Pollack recalled Redford voicing his concerns over working with Barbra Streisand due to her perceived “controlling” reputation on set.
“She has never been tested,” Redford told Pollack, according to Robert Hofler’s “The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen,” on sale January 24, 2023. “Her reputation is as a very controlling person. She will direct herself. It’ll never work.” While director Sydney Pollack died in 2008, author Hofler compiled years of past interviews for the book.
Redford was particularly concerned with the “Funny Girl” Oscar winner’s musical background, saying, “She’s not going to sing, is she? I [don’t] want her to sing...
- 10/21/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Before Stephen Spielberg’s much-lauded interpretation of West Side Story, there was another high-powered effort to bring the musical conceived by Jerome Robins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Arthur Laurents to the screen. It would have been the first remake since the 1961 screen classic directed by Robbins and Robert Wise. This version was a little different.
According to Lilo & Stitch writer and co-director Christopher Sanders, “Jeffrey Katzenberg once flew me out to New York City because he wanted us to do West Side Story with cats.”
Sanders said the former Disney Animation and later DreamWorks Animation boss had him prep a presentation for the meeting. Contacted by Deadline, Katzenberg’s camp had no comment.
“I [story]boarded this huge sequence where these cats were battling each other. Jeffrey said, ‘We’re going to fly to New York, and you’re going to pitch it to Leonard Bernstein.
According to Lilo & Stitch writer and co-director Christopher Sanders, “Jeffrey Katzenberg once flew me out to New York City because he wanted us to do West Side Story with cats.”
Sanders said the former Disney Animation and later DreamWorks Animation boss had him prep a presentation for the meeting. Contacted by Deadline, Katzenberg’s camp had no comment.
“I [story]boarded this huge sequence where these cats were battling each other. Jeffrey said, ‘We’re going to fly to New York, and you’re going to pitch it to Leonard Bernstein.
- 10/20/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
After twenty years honing his craft on ever-more precise filmic constructions, David Lean opened up his imagination for a story of loneliness and romance in Venice, Italy. A vacationing American woman searches for — she doesn’t know what. Katharine Hepburn reveals the vulnerable side of her personality, and the woman eventually leaves her fears behind. Lean creates the most compelling ‘relaxed vacation’ ever, yet every shot is as keenly envisioned as in any of his films. It’s an amazing ‘on location’ show that initially ran into trouble with U.S. censors — some thought it was morally incompatible with the Production Code, and shouldn’t be released here at all.
Summertime
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 22
1955 / Color / 1:37 Academy (1:66 widescreen?) / 100 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date July 12, 2022 / 39.95
Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi, Darren McGavin, Jane Rose, Mari Aldon, Macdonald Parke, Gaetano Autiero, Jeremy Spenser, Isa Miranda, Virginia Simeon,...
Summertime
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 22
1955 / Color / 1:37 Academy (1:66 widescreen?) / 100 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date July 12, 2022 / 39.95
Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi, Darren McGavin, Jane Rose, Mari Aldon, Macdonald Parke, Gaetano Autiero, Jeremy Spenser, Isa Miranda, Virginia Simeon,...
- 7/19/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
One of the most anticipated honors to be handed out Sunday at the 75th annual Tony Awards is Angela Lansbury’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The big question is: Why did it take so long?
Now 96, the beloved Lansbury has won five competitive Tony and was nominated for two more. She’s also one of the leading interpreters of the work of composers Stephen Sondheim and Jerry Herman. Her Broadway career is best described with the lyric from Herman’s 1966 musical “Mame: “You came, you saw, your conquered and absolutely nothing is the same…we think you’re just sensational!”
In fact, she’s been sensational since making her film debut at 18 in 1944’s “Gaslight,” received her first of three Oscar nominations — she earned an Honorary Oscar in 2013 — and starred for 12 seasons as mystery writer Jessica Fletcher on ‘Murder, She Wrote.” And she brought her musical talents to movie and TV...
Now 96, the beloved Lansbury has won five competitive Tony and was nominated for two more. She’s also one of the leading interpreters of the work of composers Stephen Sondheim and Jerry Herman. Her Broadway career is best described with the lyric from Herman’s 1966 musical “Mame: “You came, you saw, your conquered and absolutely nothing is the same…we think you’re just sensational!”
In fact, she’s been sensational since making her film debut at 18 in 1944’s “Gaslight,” received her first of three Oscar nominations — she earned an Honorary Oscar in 2013 — and starred for 12 seasons as mystery writer Jessica Fletcher on ‘Murder, She Wrote.” And she brought her musical talents to movie and TV...
- 6/10/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
A new iteration of “West Side Story” has arrived, courtesy of producer and director Steven Spielberg, who worked from a script by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner (“Lincoln”). After earning critical raves and a spot atop the AFI Top 10 Films of the Year list in 2021, and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Ariana DeBose, the film is an awards frontrunner with seven Oscar nominations and now it’s finally available to watch on streaming.
The film has been adapted for the screen from the original 1957 Broadway musical, which was written by Arthur Laurents with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins. Tony Award winner Justin Peck choreographs the musical numbers in the film. Tony Award-winning producer Kevin McCollum and Academy Award-nominated producer Kristie Macosko Krieger also led the production.
The film’s music team includes conductor Gustavo Dudamel...
The film has been adapted for the screen from the original 1957 Broadway musical, which was written by Arthur Laurents with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins. Tony Award winner Justin Peck choreographs the musical numbers in the film. Tony Award-winning producer Kevin McCollum and Academy Award-nominated producer Kristie Macosko Krieger also led the production.
The film’s music team includes conductor Gustavo Dudamel...
- 3/27/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
“Don’t Look Up” and “Coda” have won the top feature film awards from the Writers Guild of America, which held its annual WGA Awards on Sunday evening.
On the heels of its Producers Guild Award victory on Saturday, “Coda” kicked off the show by winning the first award of the night, for Best Adapted Screenplay. The category also included “Dune,” “Nightmare Alley,” “tick, tick…Boom!” and “West Side Story” — but two of the biggest challengers to “Coda” in the Oscar race for adapted screenplay, “The Power of the Dog” and “The Lost Daughter,” were not eligible for the award because of WGA regulations.
In the Best Original Screenplay category, “Don’t Look Up” scored a surprise victory over “Licorice Pizza,” which was favored to take the award, and “King Richard.” Two other Oscar nominees, “Belfast” and “The Worst Person in the World,” were ineligible.
Television awards included “Succession” and “Hacks” for drama and comedy series,...
On the heels of its Producers Guild Award victory on Saturday, “Coda” kicked off the show by winning the first award of the night, for Best Adapted Screenplay. The category also included “Dune,” “Nightmare Alley,” “tick, tick…Boom!” and “West Side Story” — but two of the biggest challengers to “Coda” in the Oscar race for adapted screenplay, “The Power of the Dog” and “The Lost Daughter,” were not eligible for the award because of WGA regulations.
In the Best Original Screenplay category, “Don’t Look Up” scored a surprise victory over “Licorice Pizza,” which was favored to take the award, and “King Richard.” Two other Oscar nominees, “Belfast” and “The Worst Person in the World,” were ineligible.
Television awards included “Succession” and “Hacks” for drama and comedy series,...
- 3/21/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
You made it through the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Directors Guild Awards, and the Producers Guild Awards, too. The wait for the Oscars is almost over, but one more major guild had yet to give out its trophies before the Academy Awards. Tonight, Hollywood’s top writers came together for the Writers Guild of America Awards, which honored the finest achievements in film and television writing.
On the film side, the nominees were actually quite different from what you’ll see at the Oscars next week. In the Original Screenplay category, “Licorice Pizza,” “Don’t Look Up,” and “King Richard” were still nominated, but “Belfast” and “The Worst Person in the World” were replaced with “Being the Ricardos.” The Adapted Screenplay category was even more distinct, with only two Oscar contenders (“Dune” and “Coda”) nominated.
But it ultimately did not matter, as two Oscar nominees took the top prizes. “Coda...
On the film side, the nominees were actually quite different from what you’ll see at the Oscars next week. In the Original Screenplay category, “Licorice Pizza,” “Don’t Look Up,” and “King Richard” were still nominated, but “Belfast” and “The Worst Person in the World” were replaced with “Being the Ricardos.” The Adapted Screenplay category was even more distinct, with only two Oscar contenders (“Dune” and “Coda”) nominated.
But it ultimately did not matter, as two Oscar nominees took the top prizes. “Coda...
- 3/20/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Succession, Mare Of Easttown enjoy another good night after PGA television wins.
Apple TV+’s Coda and Netflix’s Don’t Look Up were the big film winners at Sunday’s (20) virtual 2022 Writers Guild Awards hosted by the East and West Coast chapters the day after Coda boosted its Oscar hopes by claiming the PGA’s top prize.
Adam McKay’s script for Don’t Look Up took the WGA’s original screenplay prize and Sian Heder prevailed in the adapted category for Coda, which is based on French La Famille Belier.
Both are nominated for their respective Oscar categories although there...
Apple TV+’s Coda and Netflix’s Don’t Look Up were the big film winners at Sunday’s (20) virtual 2022 Writers Guild Awards hosted by the East and West Coast chapters the day after Coda boosted its Oscar hopes by claiming the PGA’s top prize.
Adam McKay’s script for Don’t Look Up took the WGA’s original screenplay prize and Sian Heder prevailed in the adapted category for Coda, which is based on French La Famille Belier.
Both are nominated for their respective Oscar categories although there...
- 3/20/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "West Side Story" (1961)
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: There are those who scoffed when news broke that legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg would be re-imagining one of the greatest movie musicals of all time. "West Side Story" was first a stage musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, with a book by Arthur Laurents. A 1961 feature adaptation...
The post The Daily Stream: West Side Story 1961 Makes A Fine Double Feature With Spielberg's Update appeared first on /Film.
The Movie: "West Side Story" (1961)
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: There are those who scoffed when news broke that legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg would be re-imagining one of the greatest movie musicals of all time. "West Side Story" was first a stage musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, with a book by Arthur Laurents. A 1961 feature adaptation...
The post The Daily Stream: West Side Story 1961 Makes A Fine Double Feature With Spielberg's Update appeared first on /Film.
- 3/3/2022
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture! Bring Home Steven Spielberg’s Masterful Reimagining of West Side Story on Digital March 2nd and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD March 15th
Acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg presents an inspired reimagining of the beloved musical West Side Story. The film that critics celebrate as “electrifying” and “a total triumph” has been nominated for 7 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress and 11 Critics’ Choice Awards. West Side Story is also Certified-Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Rejoice in the spectacular new choreography alongside the iconic songs – plus see astonishing all-new footage of Spielberg at work in documentary filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau’s revealing “The Stories of West Side Story” – by adding 20th Century Studios’ West Side Story to your musical collection on Digital March 2 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD March 15. West Side Story will also be available on Disney+ starting...
Acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg presents an inspired reimagining of the beloved musical West Side Story. The film that critics celebrate as “electrifying” and “a total triumph” has been nominated for 7 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress and 11 Critics’ Choice Awards. West Side Story is also Certified-Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Rejoice in the spectacular new choreography alongside the iconic songs – plus see astonishing all-new footage of Spielberg at work in documentary filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau’s revealing “The Stories of West Side Story” – by adding 20th Century Studios’ West Side Story to your musical collection on Digital March 2 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD March 15. West Side Story will also be available on Disney+ starting...
- 2/22/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated remake of “West Side Story” is coming to Disney Plus and HBO Max next month.
The movie will debut on Disney Plus in the U.S. and most international markets on March 2, 2022, when it also will be streaming on HBO Max (in the U.S. only). It will launch in Taiwan on March 9 and Japan on March 30. In addition, ABC’s one-hour special “Something’s Coming: West Side Story – A Special Edition of 20/20’” is available to stream on Disney Plus now.
On Tuesday, Spielberg’s “West Side Story” picked up seven Academy Awards nominations, including for best picture, best director and best supporting actress (Ariana DeBose).
Streaming rights for the 20th Century Studios release are being split between Disney Plus and HBO Max U.S. under a pact giving WarnerMedia dibs on a selection of the Fox film slate through the end of 2022.
Directed by Spielberg...
The movie will debut on Disney Plus in the U.S. and most international markets on March 2, 2022, when it also will be streaming on HBO Max (in the U.S. only). It will launch in Taiwan on March 9 and Japan on March 30. In addition, ABC’s one-hour special “Something’s Coming: West Side Story – A Special Edition of 20/20’” is available to stream on Disney Plus now.
On Tuesday, Spielberg’s “West Side Story” picked up seven Academy Awards nominations, including for best picture, best director and best supporting actress (Ariana DeBose).
Streaming rights for the 20th Century Studios release are being split between Disney Plus and HBO Max U.S. under a pact giving WarnerMedia dibs on a selection of the Fox film slate through the end of 2022.
Directed by Spielberg...
- 2/9/2022
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
From West Side Story through Bye Bye Birdie, from Chicago to Kiss of the Spider Woman, one actor has been a constant – Chita Rivera.
Now, the two-time Tony winners is recapping her Broadway career for HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, which announced her memoir today. The book, publication release date set for early 2023 and title to be determined, will also be published simultaneously by Harper Español. Rivera will be writing with Emmy-winning TV commentator and arts journalist Patrick Pacheco.
Lisa Sharkey, SVP director of creative development, HarperCollins Publishers, acquired North American rights for English and World for Spanish, first serial, and audio from Mel Berger at WME. The book will have Rakesh Satyal as executive editor, HarperOne Publishing Group, and will be edited with HarperEspañol editor Ariana Rosado-Fernández.
Rivera is one of the most nominated actors in Tony Awards history, garnering 10 bids during her long career. She plans to...
Now, the two-time Tony winners is recapping her Broadway career for HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, which announced her memoir today. The book, publication release date set for early 2023 and title to be determined, will also be published simultaneously by Harper Español. Rivera will be writing with Emmy-winning TV commentator and arts journalist Patrick Pacheco.
Lisa Sharkey, SVP director of creative development, HarperCollins Publishers, acquired North American rights for English and World for Spanish, first serial, and audio from Mel Berger at WME. The book will have Rakesh Satyal as executive editor, HarperOne Publishing Group, and will be edited with HarperEspañol editor Ariana Rosado-Fernández.
Rivera is one of the most nominated actors in Tony Awards history, garnering 10 bids during her long career. She plans to...
- 1/28/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Before we get to parsing the list of Writers Guild nominations, let’s look at those who were ineligible. This year’s list is massive, from UK entries Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” (Focus Features), Rebecca Hall’s “Passing” (Netflix), and Joe Wright’s “Cyrano” (MGM/UA) to Netflix contenders from Jane Campion (”The Power of the Dog”) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (“The Lost Daughter”). Among last year’s ineligibles were 2021 Oscar nominees “Nomadland” and “Minari.”
The WGA maintains jurisdiction over whether scripts are produced under a Writer’s Guild contract, and who finally gets credit on a screenplay. The guild insists on withholding non-signatories from being part of the WGA Awards.
A WGA nomination isn’t essential for Oscar nomination. Exceptions include American indie “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Iranian Oscar-winner “A Separation” Oscar-winning British films “Les Miserables,” and “The Favourite,” and all Pixar animated contenders, from “Up” to “Incredibles 2.” European...
The WGA maintains jurisdiction over whether scripts are produced under a Writer’s Guild contract, and who finally gets credit on a screenplay. The guild insists on withholding non-signatories from being part of the WGA Awards.
A WGA nomination isn’t essential for Oscar nomination. Exceptions include American indie “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Iranian Oscar-winner “A Separation” Oscar-winning British films “Les Miserables,” and “The Favourite,” and all Pixar animated contenders, from “Up” to “Incredibles 2.” European...
- 1/27/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Before we get to parsing the list of Writers Guild nominations, let’s look at those who were ineligible. This year’s list is massive, from UK entries Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” (Focus Features), Rebecca Hall’s “Passing” (Netflix), and Joe Wright’s “Cyrano” (MGM/UA) to Netflix contenders from Jane Campion (”The Power of the Dog”) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (“The Lost Daughter”). Among last year’s ineligibles were 2021 Oscar nominees “Nomadland” and “Minari.”
The WGA maintains jurisdiction over whether scripts are produced under a Writer’s Guild contract, and who finally gets credit on a screenplay. The guild insists on withholding non-signatories from being part of the WGA Awards.
A WGA nomination isn’t essential for Oscar nomination. Exceptions include American indie “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Iranian Oscar-winner “A Separation” Oscar-winning British films “Les Miserables,” and “The Favourite,” and all Pixar animated contenders, from “Up” to “Incredibles 2.” European...
The WGA maintains jurisdiction over whether scripts are produced under a Writer’s Guild contract, and who finally gets credit on a screenplay. The guild insists on withholding non-signatories from being part of the WGA Awards.
A WGA nomination isn’t essential for Oscar nomination. Exceptions include American indie “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Iranian Oscar-winner “A Separation” Oscar-winning British films “Les Miserables,” and “The Favourite,” and all Pixar animated contenders, from “Up” to “Incredibles 2.” European...
- 1/27/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Winners to be unveiled on March 20.
The Writers Guild of America has unveiled its feature nominations with The French Dispatch, King Richard, Coda and West Side Story all in contention for top awards.
The Guild announced its nominees in the original screenplay, adapted screenplay and documentary screenplay categories. Winners will be honored at a joint 2022 Writers Guild Awards virtual ceremony by the East and West Coast chapters on March 20.
Original Screenplay
Being The Ricardos
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Don’t Look Up
Screenplay by Adam McKay, Story by Adam McKay & David Sirota
The French Dispatch Of The Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
Screenplay by Wes Anderson,...
The Writers Guild of America has unveiled its feature nominations with The French Dispatch, King Richard, Coda and West Side Story all in contention for top awards.
The Guild announced its nominees in the original screenplay, adapted screenplay and documentary screenplay categories. Winners will be honored at a joint 2022 Writers Guild Awards virtual ceremony by the East and West Coast chapters on March 20.
Original Screenplay
Being The Ricardos
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Don’t Look Up
Screenplay by Adam McKay, Story by Adam McKay & David Sirota
The French Dispatch Of The Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
Screenplay by Wes Anderson,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The 74th annual Writers Guild Awards film nominations are officially in.
The Original Screenplay category is a tight competition, with Aaron Sorkin nominated for “Being the Ricardos” alongside Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza” and Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” among others.
“Coda,” “Dune,” and “Nightmare Alley” lead the Adapted Screenplay category, rounding out a mix of streaming day and date premieres with theatrical releases.
The winners will be announced March 20 at 74th Annual Writers Guild Awards. The WGAs announced its TV, new media, news, radio/audio and promotional writing nominees last week. To note, Oscar contenders are ineligible for the Writers Guild of America Awards.
See below for the full list of film noms:
Original Screenplay
“Being the Ricardos,” written by Aaron Sorkin; Amazon Studios
“Don’t Look Up,” screenplay by Adam McKay, story by Adam McKay & David Sirota; Netflix
“The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun,...
The Original Screenplay category is a tight competition, with Aaron Sorkin nominated for “Being the Ricardos” alongside Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza” and Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” among others.
“Coda,” “Dune,” and “Nightmare Alley” lead the Adapted Screenplay category, rounding out a mix of streaming day and date premieres with theatrical releases.
The winners will be announced March 20 at 74th Annual Writers Guild Awards. The WGAs announced its TV, new media, news, radio/audio and promotional writing nominees last week. To note, Oscar contenders are ineligible for the Writers Guild of America Awards.
See below for the full list of film noms:
Original Screenplay
“Being the Ricardos,” written by Aaron Sorkin; Amazon Studios
“Don’t Look Up,” screenplay by Adam McKay, story by Adam McKay & David Sirota; Netflix
“The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Writers Guild of America has penciled in the film nominees for its 74th annual WGA Awards, which will be virtual again this year.
The Original Screenplay category will see the scribes behind Being the Ricardos, Don’t Look Up, The French Dispatch, King Richard and Licorice Pizza vying for the hardware.
The Adapted Screenplay race will be among Coda, Dune, Nightmare Alley, tick, tick…Boom! and West Side Story.
On the documentary side, Being Cousteau, Exposing Muybridge and Like a Rolling Stone will battle it out for the WGA trophy.
See the full list of nominated writers and screenplays below.
Winners will be feted at the joint 2022 WGA Awards on Sunday, March 20 — the last majors awards show before the 94th Oscars. This year’s eligibility period is March 1-December 31, 2021.
Read the WGA’s TV nominations here.
The WGAs honor outstanding achievement for original and adapted screenplays and documentary films, but...
The Original Screenplay category will see the scribes behind Being the Ricardos, Don’t Look Up, The French Dispatch, King Richard and Licorice Pizza vying for the hardware.
The Adapted Screenplay race will be among Coda, Dune, Nightmare Alley, tick, tick…Boom! and West Side Story.
On the documentary side, Being Cousteau, Exposing Muybridge and Like a Rolling Stone will battle it out for the WGA trophy.
See the full list of nominated writers and screenplays below.
Winners will be feted at the joint 2022 WGA Awards on Sunday, March 20 — the last majors awards show before the 94th Oscars. This year’s eligibility period is March 1-December 31, 2021.
Read the WGA’s TV nominations here.
The WGAs honor outstanding achievement for original and adapted screenplays and documentary films, but...
- 1/27/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The screenplays for “Don’t Look Up,” “Licorice Pizza,” “Nightmare Alley” and “King Richard” have been nominated for the 2022 Writers Guild Awards by the WGA, West and WGA, East, the two guilds announced on Thursday.
Other nominees are “Coda,” “Dune,” “West Side Story” and “tick, tick…Boom!,” which join “Nightmare Alley” in the adapted-screenplay category, and “Being the Ricardos” and “The French Dispatch,” which join “Don’t Look Up,” “Licorice Pizza” and “King Richard” as original-screenplay nominees.
Eligible screenplays that were missing from the slate of nominees include Joel Coen’s Shakespeare adaptation, “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” and Mike Mills’ original story, “C’mon C’mon.”
Because the WGA created its award to be a prize for its members and those who write under its jurisdiction, a Writers Guild nomination is a less accurate predictor of Oscar success than noms from the other three major Hollywood guilds, the Screen Actors Guild, Producers Guild and Directors Guild.
Other nominees are “Coda,” “Dune,” “West Side Story” and “tick, tick…Boom!,” which join “Nightmare Alley” in the adapted-screenplay category, and “Being the Ricardos” and “The French Dispatch,” which join “Don’t Look Up,” “Licorice Pizza” and “King Richard” as original-screenplay nominees.
Eligible screenplays that were missing from the slate of nominees include Joel Coen’s Shakespeare adaptation, “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” and Mike Mills’ original story, “C’mon C’mon.”
Because the WGA created its award to be a prize for its members and those who write under its jurisdiction, a Writers Guild nomination is a less accurate predictor of Oscar success than noms from the other three major Hollywood guilds, the Screen Actors Guild, Producers Guild and Directors Guild.
- 1/27/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
A tale already borrowed, West Side Story is nearly the 50th version of Romeo and Juliet to be filmed. If that constitutes a spoiler then so be it, the joy of this and many versions is not the direction of travel but how it gets there. With the benefit of distance, the demands upon a filmed version of West Side Story were not trivial, even when one considers that this is the work that made reputations.
It was Stephen Sondheim's Broadway debut, Leonard Bernstein's return to commercial success after Candide, Jerome Robbins was fresh from film success with The King And I and would produce Gypsy in the gap between West Side Story's stage and screen versions. Arthur Laurents had written the 'book' for West Side Story, in a career that had already seen him adapt Rope for American screens. Ernest Lehner had a Hitchcock connection too,...
It was Stephen Sondheim's Broadway debut, Leonard Bernstein's return to commercial success after Candide, Jerome Robbins was fresh from film success with The King And I and would produce Gypsy in the gap between West Side Story's stage and screen versions. Arthur Laurents had written the 'book' for West Side Story, in a career that had already seen him adapt Rope for American screens. Ernest Lehner had a Hitchcock connection too,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Andrew Robertson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Editors note: Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series debuts and celebrates the scripts of films that will be factors in this year’s
movie awards race.
“I believe that great stories should be told over and over again, in part to reflect different perspectives and moments in time into the work,” Steven Spielberg says of his motivations to craft a new take on the beloved classic musical West Side Story that was both reverent to the original 1957 Broadway production and the subsequent Oscar-winning 1961 film and filled with fresh, relevant inspiration.
“It’s very intimidating to take a masterpiece and make it through different eyes and different sensibilities without compromising the integrity of what is generally considered the greatest music ever written for the theater,” Spielberg added of the intent to honor the source material developed by stage director and choreographer Jerome Robbins, composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephen Sondheim and playwright...
movie awards race.
“I believe that great stories should be told over and over again, in part to reflect different perspectives and moments in time into the work,” Steven Spielberg says of his motivations to craft a new take on the beloved classic musical West Side Story that was both reverent to the original 1957 Broadway production and the subsequent Oscar-winning 1961 film and filled with fresh, relevant inspiration.
“It’s very intimidating to take a masterpiece and make it through different eyes and different sensibilities without compromising the integrity of what is generally considered the greatest music ever written for the theater,” Spielberg added of the intent to honor the source material developed by stage director and choreographer Jerome Robbins, composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephen Sondheim and playwright...
- 1/19/2022
- by Scott Huver
- Deadline Film + TV
We’ve been busy updating our 2022 Oscar predictions for Best Picture after the announcements of the BAFTA longlists and the SAG Awards nominations on Jan. 12. These precursor prizes weighed in just 15 days before Oscar nominations voting kicks off on January 27; that balloting runs until just Feb. 1. Nominations for the 94th annual Academy Awards will be revealed one week later on Feb. 8.
The BAFTAs splits the nominations process into two parts. Round 1 resulted in the release of longlists of 15 semi-finalists in each category. Round two, which kicks off off Jan. 14, runs for a lucky 13 days until Jan. 27. Voters and/or jury members will rank their top five contenders to determine nominations, which are to be announced on Feb. 3. “Don’t Look Up” and “West Side Story” lead the BAFTA longlists with 15 mentions apiece followed by “Belfast” and “The Power of the Dog” at 14; “House of Gucci” with 13; “Dune” and “No Time to Die...
The BAFTAs splits the nominations process into two parts. Round 1 resulted in the release of longlists of 15 semi-finalists in each category. Round two, which kicks off off Jan. 14, runs for a lucky 13 days until Jan. 27. Voters and/or jury members will rank their top five contenders to determine nominations, which are to be announced on Feb. 3. “Don’t Look Up” and “West Side Story” lead the BAFTA longlists with 15 mentions apiece followed by “Belfast” and “The Power of the Dog” at 14; “House of Gucci” with 13; “Dune” and “No Time to Die...
- 1/14/2022
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
You can’t remake a Hollywood and Broadway musical classic without breaking a few eggs. Long-time Steven Spielberg collaborator and “Angels in America” Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner knew that from his very first discussions with the director, who came to him in 2017 to adapt the 1957 “West Side Story” musical into a second movie. Their shared goal: make the story and characters deeper, richer, and more authentic to the period, from the history of juvenile delinquency in the ’50s and the San Juan Hill neighborhood razed to build Lincoln Center to the roots of Puerto Rican New York.
While Kushner and Spielberg addressed the Arthur Laurents book and music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim with respect, there was no point in updating the story if they weren’t going to change it. Here’s what they did and why. At this point we assume you know the story: spoilers abound.
While Kushner and Spielberg addressed the Arthur Laurents book and music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim with respect, there was no point in updating the story if they weren’t going to change it. Here’s what they did and why. At this point we assume you know the story: spoilers abound.
- 1/11/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Adam Driver may be the most notable former Marine to earn an Oscar nomination, but David Alvarez could be the first Tony winner turned infantryman to nab one. In Steven Spielberg’s revelatory remake of “West Side Story,” a production that both makes a case for itself while honoring the achievements of its predecessor, the actor and dancer brings renewed life to the character of Bernardo. Trained as a ballet dancer before becoming one of the youngest people to win a Best Actor Tony for his performance in “Billy Elliot the Musical” on Broadway, Alvarez had all but left show business when he got the call to audition for Bernardo.
After seeing the 2009 Broadway revival, which was directed by Arthur Laurents and featured translated Spanish lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, he had dreamed of doing the show. “I was so in love with the sound, the music, the characters, and the Shakespearean essence to it.
After seeing the 2009 Broadway revival, which was directed by Arthur Laurents and featured translated Spanish lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, he had dreamed of doing the show. “I was so in love with the sound, the music, the characters, and the Shakespearean essence to it.
- 1/7/2022
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
This article contains spoilers for both screen versions of West Side Story.
For most of his career, Steven Spielberg has spoken of his desire to make a musical. It turned out to be well worth the wait. Despite harboring serious reservations about a remake of one of the finest movie musicals ever made—Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story movie from 1961—I was entirely won over by Spielberg’s sparkling and passionate reimagining of the original 1957 Broadway show. As if by magic, it returned to the Oscar winning director some of the irresistible exuberance of youth.
A sweeping and majestic reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, the original West Side Story musical, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, was a staple of Spielberg’s childhood, reportedly more so due to the Original Broadway Cast album his mother bought him than the previous movie. Perhaps it...
For most of his career, Steven Spielberg has spoken of his desire to make a musical. It turned out to be well worth the wait. Despite harboring serious reservations about a remake of one of the finest movie musicals ever made—Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story movie from 1961—I was entirely won over by Spielberg’s sparkling and passionate reimagining of the original 1957 Broadway show. As if by magic, it returned to the Oscar winning director some of the irresistible exuberance of youth.
A sweeping and majestic reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, the original West Side Story musical, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, was a staple of Spielberg’s childhood, reportedly more so due to the Original Broadway Cast album his mother bought him than the previous movie. Perhaps it...
- 12/11/2021
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Audiences viewing Steven Spielberg’s new “West Side Story” will see many differences from the 1961 version, including a younger cast, revised screenplay and new choreography. What hasn’t changed is the music by Leonard Bernstein, the result of four high-profile experts who teamed up to record the score anew.
Oscar-nominated composer David Newman oversaw all of the arrangements and orchestrations; Tony-winning songwriter Jeanine Tesori supervised all of the vocal performances; Grammy-nominated producer Matt Sullivan was on set throughout, supervising the music during shooting; and world-renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel conducted the Bernstein score with both the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The involvement of Dudamel and Newman were legendary composer John Williams’ idea. Williams, who has been Spielberg’s musical partner for 47 years, recalls Spielberg initially asking him to be music director on the film, “and I said, ‘you should get Gustavo to conduct the score. He’s done...
Oscar-nominated composer David Newman oversaw all of the arrangements and orchestrations; Tony-winning songwriter Jeanine Tesori supervised all of the vocal performances; Grammy-nominated producer Matt Sullivan was on set throughout, supervising the music during shooting; and world-renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel conducted the Bernstein score with both the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The involvement of Dudamel and Newman were legendary composer John Williams’ idea. Williams, who has been Spielberg’s musical partner for 47 years, recalls Spielberg initially asking him to be music director on the film, “and I said, ‘you should get Gustavo to conduct the score. He’s done...
- 12/10/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
From her earliest days preparing to play Anita in the original 1961 “West Side Story,” Rita Moreno has never been averse to script changes. In fact, if it weren’t for a little update to the lyrics for “America,” the show’s most memorable dance number and Anita’s big star moment, she may never have accepted the role that came to define her career. After landing the role in the movie, Moreno began preparing using the original Broadway script, with a book by Arthur Laurents and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. When she came to the lyric “Puerto Rico, you ugly island, island of tropic diseases,” her heart sank.
“I went, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t do this to my people.’ I was on the verge of calling my agent and saying, ‘I have to pull out,’ knowing that he would just scream at me and not understand...
“I went, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t do this to my people.’ I was on the verge of calling my agent and saying, ‘I have to pull out,’ knowing that he would just scream at me and not understand...
- 12/10/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Ariana DeBose as Anita (center) in 20th Century Studios’ West Side Story. Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
West Side Story is the exception to the rule that remaking a classic is pointless task. In fact, in some ways it is a better film. No wonder with the stellar team behind it – directed Steven Spielberg, script adapted by Tony Kushner, cinematography by Janusz Kaminski, and with executive producer Rita Moreno, the Egot plus Pulitzer winner (one of the world’s three) who starred in original film as Anita, the only real Puerto Rican cast member in the 1961 film.
West Side Story is one of the great classics of musical theater, first on the Broadway stage in 1957 and then in a 1961 movie version, with choreography by Jerome Robbins, music by composer Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by playwright Arthur Laurents. The story, based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,...
West Side Story is the exception to the rule that remaking a classic is pointless task. In fact, in some ways it is a better film. No wonder with the stellar team behind it – directed Steven Spielberg, script adapted by Tony Kushner, cinematography by Janusz Kaminski, and with executive producer Rita Moreno, the Egot plus Pulitzer winner (one of the world’s three) who starred in original film as Anita, the only real Puerto Rican cast member in the 1961 film.
West Side Story is one of the great classics of musical theater, first on the Broadway stage in 1957 and then in a 1961 movie version, with choreography by Jerome Robbins, music by composer Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by playwright Arthur Laurents. The story, based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,...
- 12/10/2021
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Steven Spielberg’s refreshing new take on the classic musical was a jubilantly sugary delight that whisked you back to the 50s
Best films of 2021: the complete listMore on the best culture of 2021
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story 2.0 is an ecstatic act of ancestor-worship. It’s a vividly dreamed, cunningly modified and visually staggering revival. No one but Spielberg could have pulled it off, creating a movie in which Leonard Bernstein’s score and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics blaze out with fierce new clarity. Spielberg retains María’s narcissistic I Feel Pretty, transplanted from the bridal workshop to a fancy department store where she’s working as a cleaner. This was the number whose Cowardian skittishness Sondheim himself had second thoughts about. But its confection is entirely palatable.
Spielberg has worked with screenwriter Tony Kushner to change the original book by Arthur Laurents, tilting the emphases and giving...
Best films of 2021: the complete listMore on the best culture of 2021
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story 2.0 is an ecstatic act of ancestor-worship. It’s a vividly dreamed, cunningly modified and visually staggering revival. No one but Spielberg could have pulled it off, creating a movie in which Leonard Bernstein’s score and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics blaze out with fierce new clarity. Spielberg retains María’s narcissistic I Feel Pretty, transplanted from the bridal workshop to a fancy department store where she’s working as a cleaner. This was the number whose Cowardian skittishness Sondheim himself had second thoughts about. But its confection is entirely palatable.
Spielberg has worked with screenwriter Tony Kushner to change the original book by Arthur Laurents, tilting the emphases and giving...
- 12/9/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Steven Spielberg's remake of the classical musical West Side Story was originally confronted with lots of criticism when folks first learned about it. Many felt a remake just wasn't necessary. But as someone who grew up in the late 80s and early 90s, West Side Story was always very bitter sweet for me. On the one hand, it displayed Latinxs from NYC – Puerto Ricans specifically – during a time when Latinx representation in film didn't really exist at all. On the downside, it depicted the Puerto Rican community and Latinxs overall in a negative way, perpetuating harmful stereotypes of Puerto Ricans being violent gang members and delinquents. My hope for the film's remake was that it would stay true to the original story telling, feature all of the late Stephen Sondheim's classic songs like "I Feel Pretty," all while doing a significantly better job at Latinx representation. After watching...
- 12/3/2021
- by Johanna Ferreira
- Popsugar.com
Stunning recreations of the original film’s New York retain the songs and the dancing in a re-telling that will leave you gasping
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story 2.0 is an ecstatic act of ancestor-worship: a vividly dreamed, cunningly modified and visually staggering revival. No one but Spielberg could have brought it off, creating a movie in which Leonard Bernstein’s score and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics blaze out with fierce new clarity. Spielberg retains María’s narcissistic I Feel Pretty, transplanted from the bridal workshop to a fancy department store where she’s working as a cleaner. This was the number whose Cowardian skittishness Sondheim himself had second thoughts about. But its confection is entirely palatable.
Spielberg has worked with screenwriter Tony Kushner to change the original book by Arthur Laurents, tilting the emphases and giving new stretches of unsubtitled Spanish dialogue and keeping much of the visual idiom...
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story 2.0 is an ecstatic act of ancestor-worship: a vividly dreamed, cunningly modified and visually staggering revival. No one but Spielberg could have brought it off, creating a movie in which Leonard Bernstein’s score and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics blaze out with fierce new clarity. Spielberg retains María’s narcissistic I Feel Pretty, transplanted from the bridal workshop to a fancy department store where she’s working as a cleaner. This was the number whose Cowardian skittishness Sondheim himself had second thoughts about. But its confection is entirely palatable.
Spielberg has worked with screenwriter Tony Kushner to change the original book by Arthur Laurents, tilting the emphases and giving new stretches of unsubtitled Spanish dialogue and keeping much of the visual idiom...
- 12/2/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
We've written this a lot over the duration of the pandemic, but regardless of how ubiquitous the sentence has become, it's still true. The long-delayed ["Insert Movie Title Here"] is finally on the way! In this case, "Insert Movie Title Here" is Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story," the very highly anticipated adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical. The play was written by Arthur Laurents and Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by the truly iconic Stephen Sondheim.
Spielberg has spoken a great deal about how important this production is to him, and why it's such a massive...
The post West Side Story Early Buzz: Could It Be? Yes It could. Something's coming, something good! appeared first on /Film.
Spielberg has spoken a great deal about how important this production is to him, and why it's such a massive...
The post West Side Story Early Buzz: Could It Be? Yes It could. Something's coming, something good! appeared first on /Film.
- 11/30/2021
- by Ariel Fisher
- Slash Film
Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the beloved musical “West Side Story” finally began to screen for awards voters over the weekend ahead of its Christmas Day release. First reactions are pouring out as the film’s official premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles gets underway. Early reactions are offering praise for Spielberg’s direction and high marks for Rachel Zegler as Maria in her film debut.
The musical premiered mere days after the death of Stephen Sondheim at the age of 91. Highest praise for the new film version came from the composer himself, who back in September dropped by “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to talk about the most recent stage production of “Company” and, of course, Spielberg’s movie.
“It’s really terrific,” Sondheim said of the film. “Everybody go. You’ll really have a good time. And for those of you who know the show,...
The musical premiered mere days after the death of Stephen Sondheim at the age of 91. Highest praise for the new film version came from the composer himself, who back in September dropped by “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to talk about the most recent stage production of “Company” and, of course, Spielberg’s movie.
“It’s really terrific,” Sondheim said of the film. “Everybody go. You’ll really have a good time. And for those of you who know the show,...
- 11/30/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio and Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
The final curtain has fallen on Stephen Sondheim, maestro of American musical theater, who died at 91 on Friday. The brilliant mind behind “Into The Woods,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Company,” “Sunday in The Park With George,” and many, many more was a titan of Broadway, and the last living connection to the golden age of musicals. As a film critic, my early cinematic experiences began with musical movies, including filmed stage versions of “Into The Woods,” “Gypsy,” and of course, “West Side Story,” for which a very young Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics (same for “Gypsy.”)
It set me up for a lifetime of appreciating high drama, grand spectacle — and the unlikely comedic potential of cannibalism.
As last year’s Zoom-ified 90th birthday celebration for Sondheim proved, performing his songs is no small task. Numbers like “Send in The Clowns,” “Ladies Who Lunch,” and “Being Alive” are five-act plays in and of themselves,...
It set me up for a lifetime of appreciating high drama, grand spectacle — and the unlikely comedic potential of cannibalism.
As last year’s Zoom-ified 90th birthday celebration for Sondheim proved, performing his songs is no small task. Numbers like “Send in The Clowns,” “Ladies Who Lunch,” and “Being Alive” are five-act plays in and of themselves,...
- 11/27/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Stephen Sondheim, the dominant voice in American musical theater in the second half of the 20th century and the composer with the most Tony Awards, has died. He was 91. The Broadway icon died Friday, November 26th at his home in Roxbury, Conn. He was 91.
His shows, from the comedic “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” to the ground-breaking “Company” to the operatic “Sweeney Todd” to the experimental “Pacific Overtures,” transformed the Broadway musical stage, influencing and advancing the medium. Sondheim, a protege of Oscar Hammerstein II, slowly moved away from that melodic tradition to incorporate complex and dissonant themes and structures of 20th century classical music into his works.
Sondheim won seven Tony Awards plus a 2008 Special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theater.
Though he never achieved popular success on the order of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sondheim altered and broadened the boundaries of American...
His shows, from the comedic “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” to the ground-breaking “Company” to the operatic “Sweeney Todd” to the experimental “Pacific Overtures,” transformed the Broadway musical stage, influencing and advancing the medium. Sondheim, a protege of Oscar Hammerstein II, slowly moved away from that melodic tradition to incorporate complex and dissonant themes and structures of 20th century classical music into his works.
Sondheim won seven Tony Awards plus a 2008 Special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theater.
Though he never achieved popular success on the order of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sondheim altered and broadened the boundaries of American...
- 11/26/2021
- by Richard Natale
- Variety Film + TV
Stephen Sondheim is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in all of 20th century musical theatre. The man is responsible for monumentally influential pieces like "Into the Woods," "Gypsy," "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," "Company," "Merrily We Roll Along," "Assassins," and perhaps his lyrical magnum opus, "West Side Story."
Sondheim wrote the lyrics for the original Broadway production of "West Side Story" (with a book by Arthur Laurents and music by Leonard Bernstein) all the way back in 1957, and the show has become a certifiable pop culture staple, due in large part of the success of Robert Wise...
The post West Side Story Lyricist Stephen Sondheim Prefers Spielberg's Movie to the Original appeared first on /Film.
Sondheim wrote the lyrics for the original Broadway production of "West Side Story" (with a book by Arthur Laurents and music by Leonard Bernstein) all the way back in 1957, and the show has become a certifiable pop culture staple, due in large part of the success of Robert Wise...
The post West Side Story Lyricist Stephen Sondheim Prefers Spielberg's Movie to the Original appeared first on /Film.
- 9/17/2021
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
While we’re not going to believe just anyone who says Steven Spielberg’s upcoming spin on “West Side Story” is terrific, maybe we ought to believe musical legend Stephen Sondheim. Probably Broadway’s greatest composer, well, ever, Sondheim also wrote the lyrics to the original 1957 Broadway version of “West Side Story” (with a book by Arthur Laurents and music by Leonard Bernstein). So while he’s never one to “tout my own work,” as he joked on last night’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” he assured audiences that Spielberg’s new movie is indeed excellent.
“It’s really terrific,” Sondheim said of the film. “Everybody go. You’ll really have a good time. And for those of you who know the show, there’s going to be some real surprises.”
Sondheim said that’s because of Pulitzer Prize-winner Tony Kushner, who has received two screenplay Oscar nominations...
“It’s really terrific,” Sondheim said of the film. “Everybody go. You’ll really have a good time. And for those of you who know the show, there’s going to be some real surprises.”
Sondheim said that’s because of Pulitzer Prize-winner Tony Kushner, who has received two screenplay Oscar nominations...
- 9/16/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
‘West Side Story’ Trailer: Rachel Zegler’s Maria Sees Ansel Elgort’s Tony for the First Time (Video)
The second, fuller trailer for Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of “West Side Story” dropped Wednesday morning, depicting the first magical meeting between starcrossed lovers Maria (Rachel Zegler) and Tony (Ansel Elgort).
Maria sets eyes upon Tony at the school dance and there’s instant chemistry, but the young woman, newly arrived in New York City from Puerto Rico, is warned about falling in love with a “gringo.”
“Tonight is about family. The first gringo boy who smiles at you (Pow!),” her brother Bernardo tells Maria in the trailer.
“West Side Story” retells the classic tale of “Romeo and Juliet” through the story of young lovers amid fierce gang rivalries in 1957 New York City.
In addition to Zegler and Elgort, “West Side Story” stars Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); Ana Isabelle (Rosalía); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke); and Rita Moreno as Valentina,...
Maria sets eyes upon Tony at the school dance and there’s instant chemistry, but the young woman, newly arrived in New York City from Puerto Rico, is warned about falling in love with a “gringo.”
“Tonight is about family. The first gringo boy who smiles at you (Pow!),” her brother Bernardo tells Maria in the trailer.
“West Side Story” retells the classic tale of “Romeo and Juliet” through the story of young lovers amid fierce gang rivalries in 1957 New York City.
In addition to Zegler and Elgort, “West Side Story” stars Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); Ana Isabelle (Rosalía); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke); and Rita Moreno as Valentina,...
- 9/15/2021
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
There aren’t many stains on the legacy of consummate conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, best known as the long-running maestro, front and center, for the New York Philharmonic beginning in the 1950s. But in January 1970 one curious controversy briefly turned Bernstein’s life into a tabloid fixture when Tom Wolfe wrote a New York Magazine essay skewering a benefit party Bernstein held in his home for the Black Panthers as the stuff of “radical chic” — a term the “Bonfire of the Vanities” writer coined to describe a certain strain of limousine liberalism. The party convened the liter- and glitterati of 1970s New York City to support one of the politically active Bernstein’s many causes, but critics like Wolfe interpreted the event as misguided. Wolfe went so far as to call it “slumming.”
The compassionate new documentary “Bernstein’s Wall” spends about five minutes on this episode, clearly a...
The compassionate new documentary “Bernstein’s Wall” spends about five minutes on this episode, clearly a...
- 9/6/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The revival of West Side Story will not return when Broadway repoens its doors in September, producer Kate Horton said on Monday. The iconic musical was one of only a handful of major titles that had not made an official announcement about its return plans after New York declared back in May that theatres could return to 100% capacity on September 14, more than 18 months after the industry was shut down by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is with great regret that we are announcing today that the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story will not reopen,” Horton said. “This difficult and painful decision comes after we have explored every possible path to a successful run, and unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, reopening is not a practical proposition. We thank all the brilliant, creative artists who brought West Side Story to life at the Broadway Theatre, even for so brief a time,...
“It is with great regret that we are announcing today that the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story will not reopen,” Horton said. “This difficult and painful decision comes after we have explored every possible path to a successful run, and unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, reopening is not a practical proposition. We thank all the brilliant, creative artists who brought West Side Story to life at the Broadway Theatre, even for so brief a time,...
- 8/9/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
(Welcome to …And More, our no-frills, zero B.S. guide to when and where you can watch upcoming movies and shows, and everything else you could possibly stand to know.) Steven Spielberg finally gets to make a musical with West Side Story, a new adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim. West Side […]
The post West Side Story: Release Date, Cast and More appeared first on /Film.
The post West Side Story: Release Date, Cast and More appeared first on /Film.
- 7/12/2021
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Tony Kushner, “West Side Story” tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. Here’s your first look at the trailer released during Sunday’s Oscars telecast.
This reimagining of the beloved musical stars Ansel Elgort (Tony); Rachel Zegler (María); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); Ana Isabelle (Rosalía); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke); and Rita Moreno. Moreno – one of only three artists to be honored with Academy®, Emmy®, Grammy®, Tony® and Peabody Awards – also serves as one of the film’s executive producers.
Bringing together the best of both Broadway and Hollywood, the film’s creative team includes Kushner, who also serves as an executive producer; Tony Award® winner Justin Peck, who choreographed the musical...
This reimagining of the beloved musical stars Ansel Elgort (Tony); Rachel Zegler (María); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); Ana Isabelle (Rosalía); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke); and Rita Moreno. Moreno – one of only three artists to be honored with Academy®, Emmy®, Grammy®, Tony® and Peabody Awards – also serves as one of the film’s executive producers.
Bringing together the best of both Broadway and Hollywood, the film’s creative team includes Kushner, who also serves as an executive producer; Tony Award® winner Justin Peck, who choreographed the musical...
- 4/26/2021
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Steven Spielberg’s musical remake will hit theaters Dec. 10
The first teaser for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” hit during the Oscars telecast on Sunday, offering fans of the musical a first-look glimpse at the film starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as star-crossed teenage lovers Tony and Maria.
Spielberg is directing and co-producing “West Side Story,” with a screenplay by Tony Kushner. It is the adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. A film adaptation was released in 1961. Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Corey Stoll and Brian d’Arcy James and Rita Moreno — the Oscar-winning star of the original film — will also star. Ariana DeBose, who plays Anita in the new film, introduced it.
“West Side Story” explores young love and tensions between rival gangs the Jets and the Sharks on the streets of 1957 New York. Tony winner Justin Peck will choreograph...
The first teaser for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” hit during the Oscars telecast on Sunday, offering fans of the musical a first-look glimpse at the film starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as star-crossed teenage lovers Tony and Maria.
Spielberg is directing and co-producing “West Side Story,” with a screenplay by Tony Kushner. It is the adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. A film adaptation was released in 1961. Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Corey Stoll and Brian d’Arcy James and Rita Moreno — the Oscar-winning star of the original film — will also star. Ariana DeBose, who plays Anita in the new film, introduced it.
“West Side Story” explores young love and tensions between rival gangs the Jets and the Sharks on the streets of 1957 New York. Tony winner Justin Peck will choreograph...
- 4/26/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
The first trailer for West Side Story danced its way to the Oscars on Sunday night.
Steven Spielberg’s remake of the 1961 classic stars Ansel Elgort as Tony and Rachel Zegler as Maria.
Spielberg directed from a script by his Lincoln and Munich writer Tony Kushner. West Side Story, which draws inspiration from Romeo and Juliet, originated as a 1957 Broadway musical written by Arthur Laurents with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It tells the story of star-crossed lovers torn between two gangs, the Jets and the Sharks.
The 20th Century film wrapped in October ...
Steven Spielberg’s remake of the 1961 classic stars Ansel Elgort as Tony and Rachel Zegler as Maria.
Spielberg directed from a script by his Lincoln and Munich writer Tony Kushner. West Side Story, which draws inspiration from Romeo and Juliet, originated as a 1957 Broadway musical written by Arthur Laurents with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It tells the story of star-crossed lovers torn between two gangs, the Jets and the Sharks.
The 20th Century film wrapped in October ...
- 4/25/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The first trailer for West Side Story danced its way to the Oscars on Sunday night.
Steven Spielberg’s remake of the 1961 classic stars Ansel Elgort as Tony and Rachel Zegler as Maria.
Spielberg directed from a script by his Lincoln and Munich writer Tony Kushner. West Side Story, which draws inspiration from Romeo and Juliet, originated as a 1957 Broadway musical written by Arthur Laurents with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It tells the story of star-crossed lovers torn between two gangs, the Jets and the Sharks.
The 20th Century film wrapped in October ...
Steven Spielberg’s remake of the 1961 classic stars Ansel Elgort as Tony and Rachel Zegler as Maria.
Spielberg directed from a script by his Lincoln and Munich writer Tony Kushner. West Side Story, which draws inspiration from Romeo and Juliet, originated as a 1957 Broadway musical written by Arthur Laurents with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It tells the story of star-crossed lovers torn between two gangs, the Jets and the Sharks.
The 20th Century film wrapped in October ...
- 4/25/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Hollywood learns to imbed a social message into a crime thriller. John Paxton’s adaptation of Richard Brooks’ neat murder tale is solid noir because it sheds light on the malaise of returning soldiers. No parades and confetti here: Robert Ryan is the hateful bigot but the other characters live amid equally shadowy values — laid-back Robert Mitchum, unhappy bar girl Gloria Grahame. Edward Dmytryk puts a polish on a fine screenplay with a fresh viewpoint, that avoids thriller clichés.
Crossfire
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1947 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 86 min. / Street Date , 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, Gloria Grahame, Paul Kelly,
Sam Levene, George Cooper, Jacqueline White, Steve Brodie, William Phipps, Lex Barker, Marlo Dwyer.
Cinematography: J. Roy Hunt
Film Editor: Harry Gerstad
Art Direction: Albert S. D’Agostino, Alfred Herman
Original Music: Roy Webb
Written by John Paxton from the novel The Brick Foxhole by...
Crossfire
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1947 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 86 min. / Street Date , 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, Gloria Grahame, Paul Kelly,
Sam Levene, George Cooper, Jacqueline White, Steve Brodie, William Phipps, Lex Barker, Marlo Dwyer.
Cinematography: J. Roy Hunt
Film Editor: Harry Gerstad
Art Direction: Albert S. D’Agostino, Alfred Herman
Original Music: Roy Webb
Written by John Paxton from the novel The Brick Foxhole by...
- 3/20/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Special Bonus Episode – Author/filmmaker/Hitchcock Laurent Bouzereau expert discusses five Hitchcock movies he wishes got more love.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (2020)
Rear Window (1954)
Psycho (1960)
Vertigo (1958)
The Birds (1963)
Matinee (1993)
Marnie (1964)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Rope (1948)
Dial M For Murder (1954)
Dr. No (1962)
Family Plot (1976)
Explorers (1985)
Body Double (1984)
Stage Fright (1950)
Scrooge (1951)
The Wrong Man (1956)
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Trouble With Harry (1955)
Suspicion (1941)
Torn Curtain (1966)
North By Northwest (1959)
Topaz (1969)
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Young And Innocent (1937)
Waltzes from Vienna (1934)
Under Capricorn (1949)
Jamaica Inn (1939)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Other Notable Items
Laurent’s book Alma Hitchcock: The Woman Behind The Man (2004)
The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection Blu-ray collection (2020)
Thomas Narcejac
James Stewart
Laurent’s Five Came Back TV series (2014)
Kim Novak
Vera Miles
Grace Kelly
Tippi Hedren
Cary Grant
Alain Resnais
Ray Milland
Anthony Dawson
The Tower Theater in Philadelphia
Bruce Dern
Rod Taylor
Jessica Tandy
Craig Wasson
Suzanne Pleshette...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (2020)
Rear Window (1954)
Psycho (1960)
Vertigo (1958)
The Birds (1963)
Matinee (1993)
Marnie (1964)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Rope (1948)
Dial M For Murder (1954)
Dr. No (1962)
Family Plot (1976)
Explorers (1985)
Body Double (1984)
Stage Fright (1950)
Scrooge (1951)
The Wrong Man (1956)
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Trouble With Harry (1955)
Suspicion (1941)
Torn Curtain (1966)
North By Northwest (1959)
Topaz (1969)
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Young And Innocent (1937)
Waltzes from Vienna (1934)
Under Capricorn (1949)
Jamaica Inn (1939)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Other Notable Items
Laurent’s book Alma Hitchcock: The Woman Behind The Man (2004)
The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection Blu-ray collection (2020)
Thomas Narcejac
James Stewart
Laurent’s Five Came Back TV series (2014)
Kim Novak
Vera Miles
Grace Kelly
Tippi Hedren
Cary Grant
Alain Resnais
Ray Milland
Anthony Dawson
The Tower Theater in Philadelphia
Bruce Dern
Rod Taylor
Jessica Tandy
Craig Wasson
Suzanne Pleshette...
- 10/2/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.