Ansel Elgort was chosen for the role of Tony in the remake of "West Side Story" by Steven Spielberg, told TheWrap a person familiar with the project.
Tony Kushner wrote the adaptation of the 1957 musical, originally written by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim, on music by Leonard Bernstein. Larry Kert played the role in the original Broadway production, while Richard Beymer played the role in the 1961 film. "West Wide Story" explores the forbidden love, as well as the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks , two street gangs of different ethnic origins in New York.
Spielberg will produce the next film with Kevin McCollum and Kristie Macosko Krieger.
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More recently, Elgort played in "Baby Driver" for which he received a Golden Globe nomination in the category Best Performance by an Actor in a movie – Musical or Comedy. His next project includes the upcoming film adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winner The Goldfinch, which will be released next October. Elgort is represented by CAA and Manager Emily Gerson Saines.
Spielberg's most recent projects include The Post, starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, as well as Ready Player One, inspired by Ernest Cline's famous science-fiction book.
Read also: Movie Review "Jonathan": Ansel Elgort is a Dud Ringer in a tedious twin tale
The filming of "West Side Story" will begin in the summer of 2019.
20 breathtaking SXSW portraits, from Ansel Elgort to Octavia Spencer (Photos)
Actress Eiza González, actor Ansel Elgort, director Edgar Wright and actor Jon Hamm, "Baby Driver"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Bill Nye, "Bill Nye the scientific guy"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Annie Hamiliton, Kristoffer Borgli, Amir Asgharnejad and Brett Gelman, "DRIB"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Actor John Cho, "Gemini"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
The actor Josh Duhamel and Giancarlo Esposito, "It's your death"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Erin Lee Carr, "Dead and dear mother"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Actor Nick Offerman, "Infinity Baby"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Michael Vartan, Ian Nelms, John Hawkes, Octavia Spencer and Eshom Nelms, "Small Town Crimes"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Sophie Reid, "The Barracuda"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Todrick Hall, "Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Fawzia Mirza, "Signature Move"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Armie Hammer, Ben Wheatley and Sharlto Copley, "Free Fire"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Emily Beecham, "Daphne"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Warren G, "G-Funk"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Christopher Radcliff, James Freedson, Alex Pettyfer and Lauren Wolkstein, "The Strange Ones"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Actor Bill Pullman, "The Lefty Brown Ballad"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Actor Tommy Flanagan, "Lefty Brown Ballad"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Christmas Wells, Nick Thune and Andre Hyland, "Mr. Roosevelt"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
John Carroll Lynch, "lucky"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
Lysa Heslov and Molly Mae Potter, "Served as a girl"
Photographed by Robby Klein for TheWrap
SXSW 2017: Filmmakers, actors and producers pose at The Wrap and Getty Images studios in Austin March 11-12
Actress Eiza González, actor Ansel Elgort, director Edgar Wright and actor Jon Hamm, "Baby Driver"
