As 2019 draws to a close, a brand-new slate of movies awaits us, spanning musicals, thrillers and superhero follow-ups. Here are our most-anticipated titles – all coming soon to a cinema near you.
Steven Spielberg has remade the Romeo & Juliet-inspired musical West Side Story, bringing the forbidden romance to a whole new generation (no easy feat considering the 1961 movie has long been enshrined as a beloved classic). Scribed by the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, this adaptation follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, retelling the timeless tale of two rival New York gangs – the white, xenophobic Jets and the American Dream-chasing, Puerto Rican Sharks – laying their claim to the New York streets they call home, while threatening the blossoming relationship between the star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria with their mutual hatred. Taking on the lead roles are Ansel Elgort (in desperate need of a hit after his 2019 flopThe Goldfinch) and Rachel Zegler, the 17-year-old newcomer who beat out 30,000 actresses to land the iconic part, and went viral with her powerful cover of ‘Shallow’ from A Star is Born after she was accused of autotuning her singing. Watch this space, she’s a star in the making. Rounding off the cast are Rita Moreno – who won an Oscar playing Anita in the first movie – and a clutch of Latino Broadway stars, putting paid to whitewashing criticisms that have beset previous iterations.
‘West Side Story’ is released in cinemas on 18 December 2020.
