K.T Simpson
Rita Moreno won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the 1961 film “West Side Story”, and now she will be back in the latest adaptation by Steven Spielberg. Moreno played the character of Anna in the original film, but will play new character Valentina, a reconceived and expanded version of the character of Doc, the owner of the corner store in which Tony works.
Moreno stated: “Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself revisiting this seminal work. And to be asked by Steven Spielberg to participate is simply thrilling! Then to work together with the brilliant playwright, Tony Kushner – what a glorious stew! I am tingling!”
“From our earliest discussions, we wanted to include Rita Moreno in our production,” says Steven Spielberg. “Her Anita is one of the greatest musical performances ever filmed, and a personal favorite of mine. We created an original role for her, and we feel beyond fortunate that Rita will bring her extraordinary gifts as an actress, as well as her deep understanding of ‘West Side Story’ to this production as an executive producer.”
Filming for the production is set for the summer of 2019. News via Deadline.
