West Side Story was a modern, urban adaption of Romeo and Juliet set in gritty 1950s New York. It started out as a successful Broadway musical, before becoming an extremely popular film in 1961. With its interwoven love story, racial commentary, gang violence, plus catchy song and dance numbers, there was something for everyone in it. Here are some behind-the-scenes facts about how West Side Story came to be.
1. Elvis was considered to play Tony
Elvis was first considered to play the role of Tony, but his team didn’t want him taking on another role where he would be playing a bad boy type. At the time Elvis was dating Natalie Wood in real life, who ended up getting the role of Maria.
More in Movies
-
Amazing “Free Guy” VFX Breakdown
Whilst putting together our latest Breakdown of the VFX used in 20 Century Studio’s “Free Guy”, we interviewed Digital Domain’s VFX...
February 24, 2022 -
10 Reasons Why Practical Effects Are Better Than CGI
When Steven Spielberg recreated towering brachiosaurs using only computer wizardry for his 1993 classic Jurassic Park, computer-generated imagery (or CGI) skyrocketed...
July 13, 2018 -
12 Movies That Broke Impressive Worlds Records
Every year, more than 700 films are released in Hollywood. That number is steadily rising, which means that movies have to...
April 23, 2018 -
The 30 Sexiest Films of All Time
Love, sex, and passion are in the air whenever you watch one of the movies on our list. The displays of...
April 16, 2018 -
13 Surprising Facts About Marvel and Disney’s ‘Black Panther’
It only took a single Thursday evening in release to turn Disney’s newest superhero flick, Black Panther, into a bona fide...
March 9, 2018 -
12 Movie Bloopers That Accidentally Became Movie History
Unlike a lot of other art forms, filmmaking is a genuinely collaborative effort. There’s no such thing as complete control on...
February 2, 2018