‘Something’s Coming: West Side Story” Coming To Disney+ (US)

Disney has announced that the ABC News Primetime Event “Something’s Coming: West Side Story – A Special Edition of 20/20” will be coming to Disney+ in the United States on Friday, December 31st.  The special aired on ABC on December 5th and is currently available to stream now on Hulu in the United States. Disney+ international release dates have not been announced yet.

ABC News presents a one-hour primetime event that goes behind the scenes of the upcoming film adaptation of “West Side Story” and features a new interview with director Steven Spielberg. Spielberg reflects on his fascination with the “West Side Story” original Broadway cast recording growing up and how it helped inspire his filmmaking career, his hesitancy to make a musical until now, the relevance of the movie’s themes in today’s world, and how he’s adapting the iconic musical for the next generation.

“Something’s Coming: West Side Story” includes interviews with Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, and Ariana DeBose, stars of the upcoming film; Rita Moreno, who opens up about her Oscar-winning role as Anita in the 1961 version and her role in the new film written especially for her; Chita Rivera, who first played the role of Anita on Broadway; Stephen Sondheim, legendary lyricist who wrote the lyrics for the original Broadway musical; Tony-award winning Tony Kushner, who wrote the screenplay; Cindy Tolan, the film’s casting director on selecting rising stars for the iconic roles; and Puerto Rican historians that consulted on the film.

You can watch a clip from the special below:

Directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Tony Kushner, “West Side Story” tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. This reimagining of the beloved musical stars Ansel Elgort (Tony); Rachel Zegler (María); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); Ana Isabelle (Rosalía); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke); and Rita Moreno (as Valentina, who owns the corner store in which Tony works). Moreno – one of only three artists to be honored with Academy®, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, Tony® and Peabody Awards – also serves as one of the film’s executive producers.

Bringing together the best of both Broadway and Hollywood, the film’s creative team includes Kushner, who also serves as an executive producer; Tony Award® winner Justin Peck, who choreographed the musical numbers in the film; renowned Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor and GRAMMY Award® winner Gustavo Dudamel, who helmed the recording of the iconic score; Academy Award®-nominated composer and conductor David Newman (“Anastasia”), who arranged the score; Tony Award®-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie”), who supervised the cast on vocals; and Grammy®-nominated music supervisor Matt Sullivan (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Chicago”), who served as executive music producer for the film. The film is produced by Spielberg, Academy Award®-nominated producer Kristie Macosko Krieger and Tony Award®-winning producer Kevin McCollum. “West Side Story” has been adapted for the screen from the original 1957 Broadway show, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins.

“West Side Story” was released in theaters on December 10, 2021.