It was 57 years ago thatRita Morenowon an Oscar for her turn as Anita in the 1961 classicWest Side Story, and now the EGOT winner has signed on to co-star in and executive produceSteven Spielberg’s new film adaptation of the seminal Broadway musical.
Ansel Elgortwill star as Tony, while Moreno will play Valentina, a reconceived and expanded version of the character of Doc, the owner of the corner store in which Tony works. It’s a clever way to include Moreno, who caught her big break with 1952’sSingin’ in the Rainand has since become one of only 15 people to achieve EGOT status, having won two Emmys, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony.
Oscar-nominated screenwriter and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrightTony Kushnerhas written the adaptation of the 1957 musical, originally written byArthur Laurentswith music byLeonard Bernstein, lyrics byStephen Sondheimand concept, direction and choreography byJerome Robbins. Spielberg,Kevin McCollumandKristie Macosko Kriegerwill produce the film musical, which will be released by 20th Century Fox. Production is expected to start in the summer of 2019.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself revisiting this seminal work,” says Moreno. “And to be asked by Steven Spielberg to participate is simply thrilling! Then to work together with the brilliant playwright, Tony Kushner – what a glorious stew! I am tingling!”
“From our earliest discussions, we wanted to include Rita Moreno in our production,” said Spielberg, who is coming off ofThe PostandReady Player One. “Her Anita is one of the greatest musical performances ever filmed, and a personal favorite of mine. We created an original role for her, and we feel beyond fortunate that Rita will bring her extraordinary gifts as an actress, as well as her deep understanding ofWest Side Storyto this production as an executive producer.”
Moreno currently stars in Netflix’s critically-acclaimed Latino remake ofNorman Lear’s classic sitcom,One Day at a Time, and she has recently guest-starred on TV series such asGetting On,Jane The VirginandGrace and Frankie. Moreno also starred in 1971’sCarnal Knowledge, as well as on HBO’sOz. She also enjoyed a long-running stint on the children’s television programThe Electric Companyand made an Emmy-winning appearance onThe Muppet Show. She has been awarded a Kennedy Center Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as well as the Life Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild.
Earlier this month, Moreno was reported to have been in discussions to join another highly-anticipated movie musical – WB’sIn the Heights– but it turns out those reports were premature, and she had long been planning to work with Spielberg onWest Side Story. She’s represented by Innovative Artists, and you can see her below as a dance instructor in one of my favorite coming-of-age films,Angus.
