Oscars 2021: Trailer for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story gets first showing at Oscars

Starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as Tony and Maria, two lovers trapped on opposite sides of a New York gang war, the film will premiere later this year after being delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Viewers of the Academy Awards were treated to a first showing of the 90-second trailer, which features little dialogue and a slow version of Somewhere.

Rita Moreno, who won an Academy Award for playing Anita in the 1961 film adaptation, is also seen as Valentino, a gender-swapped version of the character Doc.

West Side Story, originally a 1957 Broadway musical, marks the first time Spielberg has directed a musical film.

It will feature the songs from the 1961 version, with a new screenplay inspired by the original stage musical.

It is scheduled for release on December 10, exactly 60 years after the original film was released in the US.