WEST SIDE STORY film delayed by a full year

[bwayboy22]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:14pm

Just announced

Updated On: 9/23/20 at 01:14 PM

[Owen22]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:17pm

Inevitable...but damn....

[Musical Master]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:21pm

Screw COVID-19. So. Hard.

Oh well, at least The Prom is coming out this December and ironically, In The Heights and West Side Story are now being released next year as competitors once again.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:23pm

This is a wise move.

[Globefan]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:23pm

And it'll be released 60 years after the original film. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:24pm

This one hurts. 

[Globefan]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:25pm

I'd love an IMAX release for this film. Maybe Amblin can decide to go for it. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:27pm

Do these films HAVE to be released in theatres? What’s the point. We are in a new normal where streaming platforms should be used and embraced for premiering these kinds of projects. Disney literally has two different streaming platforms at their disposal and won’t use either. I don’t even think by 2021 will people want to sit in a movie theatre again.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:30pm

No but a lot of directors want their films to be seen on the big screen.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:32pm

I’m sure all of these directors have big screens in their own homes. Let them watch it on Hulu on that big portable projector baby!

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:35pm

Money, Jorge. It is always about money. 

[Globefan]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:42pm

I prefer the big screen experience for films like this. 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:43pm

While I was very interested in seeing this at holiday time, I was invitable. I can say that I still love a movie theatre. The streaming I don't know how much I love it for movies that weren't made fo rthem. Hte question becomes, does this decision change?

Hollywood isn't cranking out the movies, like pre pandemic, so they may need to change some dates if some miracle happens, and the outside world isn't a big scary place anymore.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:43pm

LesWickedly said: "Money, Jorge. It is always about money."

And they really trust they’ll ever be able make money again from theatrical releases after this? Mmhmm... okay Jan.

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:44pm

The problem is the budget for these films. West Side Story has a reported budget of $100 million. And I dont even think that includes marketing. It is near impossible to make your investment back for a budget like that with just streaming platforms. They could go the Mulan route and charge a premium, but you still are only getting one purchase per group or family instead of all those individual tickets. And many movies also rely on 3D and/or Imax screenings in their finances, which obviously cant happen with streaming. 

The Prom has a much more modest budget. I do think we will see less and less of these big budget tentpole films after this pandemic. Studios are going to tighten the pursestrings and try to do most of their movies as cheaply as possible

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:46pm

Steven is a true filmmaker. Like many of them, they want their work on a big screen, the way it was intended. Of course movies will be back, theaters will be back, probably next Fall they will pick up again. 

Can't cancel movie theaters, sorry! 

[Tag]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:59pm

Anyone who thought a Spielberg-led film would come out this year, or on a streaming platform, was completely naive.  At this rate a December 2021 date is even precarious.

[Globefan]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 1:59pm

Would anyone else like an IMAX release for this film? Or is it just me? 

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 2:01pm

I just wonder if the big screen will become something of the past.....

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 2:05pm

One interesting possibility that now arises: could they potentially recast Tony and reshoot some of the scenes in this extra time?  It's been a while since it happened, but there was a credible accusation of sexual assault and rape against Ansel Elgort, and this extra year might give them the chance to find another actor, maybe someone in the theatre community.  (I read somewhere that Antonio Cipriano auditioned for Tony, and I'd love to see him and Rachel Zegler on the big screen.)

[jpbran]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 3:03pm

One factor out of most anyone’s control will be how many theaters are left when the dust settles... They’re sitting on tons of sometimes $$$ real estate, leased and/or aging equipment, etc. “Tenet” wasn’t the savior they expected it to be, and things are looking unlikely for ANY big releases over the next six months. (Marvel also just announced “Black Widow” being bumped to next year too; not a surprise.) 

 

Theaters also never had a chance to recoup all of their fairly recent renovations — converting to assigned seating, new cushy/powered seats, upgrading screen/theaters/systems to Dolby Cinema standards, dine-in build-outs, etc. And many hadn’t ever even really recovered from the the last decade’s roll-out to digital’s costs. Most chains (especially AMC, the largest) have been in major debt with overseas investors keeping them afloat; that isn’t sustainable with no/little income for the foreseeable future. My guess is that by the end of ‘19, a good percentage of theaters will sadly be DOA and most people will see WSS, ITH, etc. at home anyway.

[BwayLB]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 3:33pm

I can wait one more year and I plan to see it on the big screen. The way it deserves to. I’ve been wanting this since Rita Moreno was announced.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 3:35pm

“ could they potentially recast Tony and reshoot some of the scenes in this extra time?”

Never. Gonna. Happen.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 3:42pm

Without regard to Spielberg (for the reason stated above) Disney is contractually precluded from not releasing it in theaters.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/23/20 at 3:49pm

Oh Mods, you slay me. Deleting my comment because it's based on facts.

Fact: The age of consent in NYS is 17.

Fact: There was no credible accusation. Twitter ain't credible. 

Fact: It's not an issue and it was never going to result in charges.