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petzipellepingoHow West Side Story’s Anybodys Went From Tomboy to Trans Character
When Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg, and actor iris menas reexamined the 64-year-old musical, they found a trans character in plain sight.
BY ISAAC BUTLER
When Steven Spielberg first approached Tony Kushner about making a new film of West Side Story, Kushner was wary of the project. “I thought it was kind of crazy,” the playwright, screenwriter, and frequent Spielberg collaborator told me. “It just seemed like a surefire way to make something that was going to fail.” But soon, Kushner found himself “casually reading bits and pieces of 1957 history.” He became fascinated with the slum clearance projects of the late 1950s and the destruction of Lincoln Square to make way for Lincoln Center. He began thinking about the lives of street kids and Puerto Rican immigrants. Soon, “it got exciting to me.”
( Read more... )
When Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg, and actor iris menas reexamined the 64-year-old musical, they found a trans character in plain sight.
BY ISAAC BUTLER
When Steven Spielberg first approached Tony Kushner about making a new film of West Side Story, Kushner was wary of the project. “I thought it was kind of crazy,” the playwright, screenwriter, and frequent Spielberg collaborator told me. “It just seemed like a surefire way to make something that was going to fail.” But soon, Kushner found himself “casually reading bits and pieces of 1957 history.” He became fascinated with the slum clearance projects of the late 1950s and the destruction of Lincoln Square to make way for Lincoln Center. He began thinking about the lives of street kids and Puerto Rican immigrants. Soon, “it got exciting to me.”
( Read more... )
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Jan. 27th, 2022 02:51 pmpetzipellepingoHow Steven Spielberg scared Tony Kushner into tackling ‘West Side Story’
BY TONY KUSHNER
Each time Steven Spielberg asks me to write for him, I find myself doing something I’ve never done before. For “Munich,” I had to figure out how to write extended action sequences, a skill they don’t teach you in playwriting school. Under Steven’s guidance, I eventually found those car chases and gun fights and conflicts exhilarating to write and upsetting in the way I want to be upset when I’m working. The screenplay for “Lincoln” required distilling Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 800-page “Team of Rivals” into a feature-length script. My first draft was 500 pages. Six years and eight drafts later, I had gotten it to 150 pages — shorter than “Munich”!
( Read more... )
BY TONY KUSHNER
Each time Steven Spielberg asks me to write for him, I find myself doing something I’ve never done before. For “Munich,” I had to figure out how to write extended action sequences, a skill they don’t teach you in playwriting school. Under Steven’s guidance, I eventually found those car chases and gun fights and conflicts exhilarating to write and upsetting in the way I want to be upset when I’m working. The screenplay for “Lincoln” required distilling Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 800-page “Team of Rivals” into a feature-length script. My first draft was 500 pages. Six years and eight drafts later, I had gotten it to 150 pages — shorter than “Munich”!
( Read more... )
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Jan. 19th, 2022 05:04 ampetzipellepingo‘West Side Story’: Read The Screenplay For Steven Spielberg And Tony Kushner’s Take On Iconic Musical
Editors note: Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series debuts and celebrates the scripts of films that will be factors in this year’s race
( Read more... )
Editors note: Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series debuts and celebrates the scripts of films that will be factors in this year’s race
( Read more... )
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Jan. 12th, 2022 05:26 ampetzipellepingoTony Kushner explains the biggest change he made to ‘West Side Story’ [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW]
Christopher Rosen
When Steven Spielberg first pitched the idea of doing a new adaptation of “West Side Story” to Tony Kushner over breakfast eight years ago, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer was slightly apprehensive about the prospect. As Kushner recalled in an interview with the New York Times last year, he left their meeting and told his husband, the writer Mark Harris, “You’re not going to believe this. He’s lost his mind.”
( Read more... )
Christopher Rosen
When Steven Spielberg first pitched the idea of doing a new adaptation of “West Side Story” to Tony Kushner over breakfast eight years ago, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer was slightly apprehensive about the prospect. As Kushner recalled in an interview with the New York Times last year, he left their meeting and told his husband, the writer Mark Harris, “You’re not going to believe this. He’s lost his mind.”
( Read more... )
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Jan. 20th, 2019 11:47 ampetzipellepingoEver since I read that Kushner and Spielberg were using Arthur Laurents' original book as inspiration for the upcoming remake, I've been taking a closer look at it. ( Read more... )
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Jan. 16th, 2019 04:01 pmpetzipellepingoSteven Spielberg Met With Puerto Ricans About 'West Side Story' Concerns
by Seth Abramovitch
The news on Monday that Steven Spielberg had found his West Side Story remake's Maria after a yearlong casting search had all the hallmarks of a classic Hollywood public relations coup.
But one month earlier, the director eschewed all publicity when he made an unannounced visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico. With him were several members of the West Side Story creative team, including screenwriter Tony Kushner, who rewrote the book of the 1957 Broadway musical and its 1961 movie adaptation for Fox's planned update.
( Read more... )
by Seth Abramovitch
The news on Monday that Steven Spielberg had found his West Side Story remake's Maria after a yearlong casting search had all the hallmarks of a classic Hollywood public relations coup.
But one month earlier, the director eschewed all publicity when he made an unannounced visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico. With him were several members of the West Side Story creative team, including screenwriter Tony Kushner, who rewrote the book of the 1957 Broadway musical and its 1961 movie adaptation for Fox's planned update.
( Read more... )
(no subject)
Nov. 14th, 2018 02:43 pmpetzipellepingoTony Kushner Reveals Exciting New Details On Steven Spielberg Remake of WEST SIDE STORY
by Alexa Criscitiello
Something's coming, something GOOD!
This week at an event honoring playwright, Tony Kushner, the Angels in America author who is penning the screenplay to Steven Spielberg's remake of West Side Story dropped some major details on the project,
( Read more... )
by Alexa Criscitiello
Something's coming, something GOOD!
This week at an event honoring playwright, Tony Kushner, the Angels in America author who is penning the screenplay to Steven Spielberg's remake of West Side Story dropped some major details on the project,
( Read more... )
(no subject)
Mar. 7th, 2018 12:27 pmpetzipellepingoTony Kushner, at Peace? Not Exactly. But Close.
By CHARLES McGRATH
In characteristic fashion, Tony Kushner is doing too many things at once these days, and he’s late with a lot of them. In one more or less typical stretch last month, he was sorting through 60 boxes of his papers, inhaling dust mites in the process; working on a screenplay for Brad Pitt and finishing another, a new version of “West Side Story,” for Steven Spielberg; ( Read more... )
By CHARLES McGRATH
In characteristic fashion, Tony Kushner is doing too many things at once these days, and he’s late with a lot of them. In one more or less typical stretch last month, he was sorting through 60 boxes of his papers, inhaling dust mites in the process; working on a screenplay for Brad Pitt and finishing another, a new version of “West Side Story,” for Steven Spielberg; ( Read more... )
(no subject)
Jan. 28th, 2018 08:57 ampetzipellepingoCasting call for lead roles in ‘West Side Story’ directed by Steven Spielberg
By Alan Baltes
Three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg is now in pre-production on the feature film “West Side Story,” a remake of the 1961 film about rival gangs in New York City. The film’s Primetime Emmy Award nominated casting director Cindy Tolan is accepting email submissions from talent to be considered for lead roles in the film.
( Read more... )
By Alan Baltes
Three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg is now in pre-production on the feature film “West Side Story,” a remake of the 1961 film about rival gangs in New York City. The film’s Primetime Emmy Award nominated casting director Cindy Tolan is accepting email submissions from talent to be considered for lead roles in the film.
( Read more... )
Something's Coming
Jan. 26th, 2018 04:48 ampetzipellepingoSteven Spielberg puts out casting call for West Side Story remake
Anthony Breznican
A casting call has gone out. A script is being written. The Sharks and the Jets will clash again, this time under the direction of Steven Spielberg.
The filmmaker is developing a remake of the 1961 Robert Wise street-gang musical, with Lincoln and Munich screenwriter Tony Kushner penning the adaptation.
( Read more... )
Anthony Breznican
A casting call has gone out. A script is being written. The Sharks and the Jets will clash again, this time under the direction of Steven Spielberg.
The filmmaker is developing a remake of the 1961 Robert Wise street-gang musical, with Lincoln and Munich screenwriter Tony Kushner penning the adaptation.
( Read more... )
(no subject)
Jan. 25th, 2018 09:28 ampetzipellepingoSteven Spielberg Eyes Indiana Jones & ‘West Side Story’ Atop Next Directing Vehicles
by Mike Fleming Jr
EXCLUSIVE: Hot off directing back to back pictures in the Oscar contender The Post and the upcoming Ready Player One, Steven Spielberg is now figuring out his next two directorial vehicles. There are several percolating, but sources say he is eyeing Indiana Jones, and then would either precede or follow quickly with another pic. I’m hearing that one might be his dream project, a new version of West Side Story. Spielberg’s camp had no comment on his plans.
( Read more... )
by Mike Fleming Jr
EXCLUSIVE: Hot off directing back to back pictures in the Oscar contender The Post and the upcoming Ready Player One, Steven Spielberg is now figuring out his next two directorial vehicles. There are several percolating, but sources say he is eyeing Indiana Jones, and then would either precede or follow quickly with another pic. I’m hearing that one might be his dream project, a new version of West Side Story. Spielberg’s camp had no comment on his plans.
( Read more... )
(no subject)
Jul. 20th, 2017 01:16 pmpetzipellepingoTony Kushner Teases West Side Story Remake and Other Upcoming Projects
By Adam Hetrick
The Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Angels in America playwright is at work on several projects, including a play about President Donald Trump and a musical with Jeanine Tesori.
( Read more... )
By Adam Hetrick
The Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Angels in America playwright is at work on several projects, including a play about President Donald Trump and a musical with Jeanine Tesori.
( Read more... )
(no subject)
Jun. 18th, 2016 03:57 ampetzipellepingoPlay It Cool, Boy: West Side Story May Get a Steven Spielberg Remake
No one tell Office Krupke.
by Carolyn Cox
Of all the directors I expected to take on a new film adaptation of West Side Story, Steven Spielberg was not one of them. But when you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet, I guess!
( Read more... )
No one tell Office Krupke.
by Carolyn Cox
Of all the directors I expected to take on a new film adaptation of West Side Story, Steven Spielberg was not one of them. But when you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet, I guess!
( Read more... )
(no subject)
Jun. 16th, 2016 03:08 ampetzipellepingoSteven Spielberg wants to remake 'West Side Story'
by Devan Coggan • @devancoggan
Rumors have been swirling for years that Steven Spielberg had his eye on a potential West Side Story remake, and now, according to Spielberg himself, those rumors are true.
( Read more... )
by Devan Coggan • @devancoggan
Rumors have been swirling for years that Steven Spielberg had his eye on a potential West Side Story remake, and now, according to Spielberg himself, those rumors are true.
( Read more... )
