"West Side Story": Rita Moreno plays in the remake of Spielberg

57 years after the original film adaptation, the star of "West Side Story", Rita Moreno, will play the lead role in the remake of director Steven Spielberg. The 86-year-old woman, who won an Oscar for her role as Anita, will play Valentina, the owner of a neighborhood store, in the remake of the clbadic film.

"We wanted Rita Moreno to be part of our production from the start," said Spielberg in a statement from the Moreno agency. "Ton Anita is one of the greatest musical performances ever filmed and one of my personal favorite performances."

Moreno, who will also co-produce the film, is "delighted" to have been invited by Spielberg. She could not have imagined that in her "wildest dreams".

The actress of Puerto Rican origin had made her big breakthrough in 1961 with her role as Anita in West Side Story. In 1962, she was the first Latina to receive the Oscar for best actress in a supporting role, with notably the song "I love being in America". At this year's ceremony, Moreno was invited to speak as a speaker and caused a sensation because she was wearing her dress from 1962 a second time.

In total, the film adaptation of Leonard Bernstein's musical has won ten Oscars, including the best of the film. In addition to Moreno, George Chakris was awarded as Best Supporting Actor, leading actress Natalie Wood (Maria) and Richard Beymer (Tony) came out empty.

In "West Side Story", Shakespeare's drama "Romeo and Juliet" is transferred to New York, where a love story ends dramatically, given the hostility of two gangs.

Moreno is part of the exclusive circle of the so-called EGOT winners: she has won both an Emmy, a Golden Globe and an Oscar, as well as Tony for her achievements as a singer and actress. She is currently featured in Netflix's comedy "One Day at a Time" about a Cuban-American family.