West Side Story’s Ariana Debose and David Alvarez on the Way Steven Spielberg Shattered Expectations

With director Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story now playing in theaters, I recently got to speak with Ariana Debose (Anita) and David Alvarez (Bernardo) about making the fantastic remake. During the interview, they talked about what it really takes to make a movie on this scale, what surprised them about working with Spielberg, what they wish more people knew about making a musical on this scale, and which of their friends and family were the most excited hearing they’d been cast in a Spielberg movie.

Based on the critically acclaimed 1957 Broadway musical with music by the legendary Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story first made its way to the big screen in 1961. Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, with a screenplay by Ernest Lehman, the film went on to win 10 out of the 11 Oscars it was nominated for, including Best Picture and Best Director, and is considered to be one of the best movie musicals of all time.

As Matt wrote in his review, and everyone else said on Twitter, Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story is fantastic. He’s taken the story you know and added enough new flourishes to make this film more than a repaint of the original. In addition, the way he collaborated with Janusz Kaminski on the cinematography, Tony Kushner on the screenplay, and brought in so many talented actors to inhabit these classic roles, I don’t know anyone could walk out of the theater and not feel energized. West Side Story also stars Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, Mike Faist, Corey Stoll, Brian d'Arcy James, and Rita Moreno. Spielberg also produces alongside Kristie Macosko Krieger and Kevin McCollum.

Watch what Ariana Debose and David Alvarez had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about.

Ariana Debose and David Alvarez
Which of their friends and family freaked out the most when they found out about them being cast in Spielberg’s West Side Story?
What was it like working with Spielberg and did anything surprise them?
How Spielberg wanted them to portray authentic and honest performances on screen.
What do they wish more people knew about making a film like West Side Story?

#WestSideStory #ArianaDebose #DavidAlvarez

For interviews, movie reviews, and more visit https://collider.com

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
  / collider  
  / collider  
  / collider