Ansel Elgort has been cast as Tony in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the Broadway musical “West Side Story.”
Pulitzer prize winner and Oscar nominee Tony Kushner penned the revival of the 1957 musical, which was originally written by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim with music by Leonard Bernstein. Spielberg, Kevin McCollum and Kristie Macosko Krieger will produce the movie for Fox. Filming for “West Side Story” is set to begin in the summer of 2019.
Larry Kert played Tony in the original 1957 Broadway musical, which earned six Tony nods. “West Side Story” was inspired by William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” and centers on the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs. Richard Beymer portrayed Tony, the founder of the Jets, in the 1961 film. That adaptation was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 10, including best picture and best director for Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins.
Elgort recently starred in “Baby Driver,” for which he received a Golden Globe nomination, as well as 2014’s romantic drama “The Fault in Our Stars” alongside Shailene Woodley. Up next, Elgort will topline science-fiction drama “Jonathan” for Well Go in November and “The Goldfinch,” set to be released in October of 2019.
“West Side Story” producers have auditioned thousands of actors and dancers in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Puerto Rico in recent months. Spielberg’s latest directing projects were “Ready Player One” and the Oscar nominated “The Post,” starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks.
Elgort is repped by manager Emily Gerson Saines and CAA.