'West Side Story' Movie Casts Maria, Anita & More!

The upcoming West Side Story movie from director Steven Spielberg has announced its core cast!

New Jersey High School student Rachel Zegler will star as Maria opposite Ansel Elgort in the role of Tony. Rachel won the role after auditioning against 30,000 other people around the world!

Broadway veterans Ariana DeBose and David Alvarez will star as Anita and Bernado, members of the Sharks. You may recognize Ariana from Hamilton and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical and you may recognize David from his work in Billy Elliot.

“I am so thrilled to be playing the iconic role of Maria alongside this amazing cast,” Rachel, 17, said in a statement to Deadline. She submitted for the role after seeing the casting notice on Twitter. “West Side Story was the first musical I encountered with a Latina lead character. As a Colombian-American, I am humbled by the opportunity to play a role that means so much to the Hispanic community.”

“I’m honored to follow in the footsteps of the remarkable women who have played Anita – including Chita Rivera and, of course, the incomparable Rita Moreno,” Ariana added in a statement. “I relate so strongly to Anita – a strong Puerto Rican woman who came to New York in search of opportunity – and I feel so fortunate for the chance to work with this amazing cast and creative team.”

Filming will reportedly begin this summer. The Leonard Bernstein musical was previously made into a movie in 1961 and has been on Broadway several times over the past decades.