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Tonight, tonight, the critically-acclaimed musical update of West Side Story is finally hitting the silver screen, and will be sure to dance onto Disney+ soon enough. After being delayed for nearly a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, West Side Story arrived in theaters on December 10th.
Steven Spielberg’s take on West Side Story touts all-star Broadway veterans like screenwriter Tony Kushner, choreographer Justin Peck and composer Jeanine Tesori, as well as Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who re-recorded the film’s legendary Leonard Bernstein score.
The musical drama is actually the second feature-length adaptation of the 1957 stage musical, with the last adaptation premiering in 1961.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new film, where to watch the previous film, and how to (eventually) watch West Side Story online.
Scene from 20th Century Studios’ WEST SIDE STORY.
Photo by Niko Tavernise
How to Watch West Side Story: 2021 Remake Release Date, Tickets
West Side Story hit theaters on December 10, 2021 and like many recent movies, it’s getting a wide release so you can watch West Side Story in-person. Tickets to see the film at your local movie theater are available online here.
Is West Side Story 2021 Available to Watch on Disney+?
Unlike other Disney films this year that dropped simultaneously on Disney+ and in theaters, West Side Story is currently only available to watch in theaters. According to Disney+, Spielberg’s West Side Story adaptation will have “a minimum 45-day exclusive theatrical release” before moving to streaming. That means West Side Story could be streaming on Disney+ by the end of January 2022 at the latest.
But this depends on the release agreement between Disney+ and 20th Century Studios. West Side Story could also be simultaneously released on both HBO Max and Disney+, thanks to an ongoing deal to share exclusive rights between the two streamers. Until then, here’s how you can sign up to watch West Side Story online free when it becomes available.
How to Stream West Side Story 2021 on Disney+
If you eventually want to stream West Side Story, you’ll need a Disney+ subscription. Pricing for a Disney+ subscription starts at just $7.99 a month and will include instant access to watch West Side Story online when it comes to the streamer, as well as all of Disney+ slate of original shows, movies and exclusive offerings.
Sign up for Disney+ here for $7.99 and log in with your subscription to stream West Side Story from your phone, laptop, tablet or connected TV.
Your best value is to grab the Disney+ Bundle, which includes access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for just $13.99 a month. That’s less than the price of a movie ticket and gets you unlimited streaming on all three services for under $14.
The Disney+ Bundle is a great deal if you want to watch West Side Story on Disney+ and other movie musicals, like the Sondheim Into the Woods adaptation and the live action-filmed Hamilton, which are both streaming on Disney+.
How to Watch West Side Story Online Free
Disney+ doesn’t currently a free trial, but there are a couple of other ways to watch West Side Story online free.
If you are a Verizon subscriber, you could be eligible for their “Disney+ on Us” deal, which gets you six months of Disney+ for free with select phone and Internet plans. Sign up for the the free Disney+ deal or see if your current Verizon plan qualifies here, then use your subscription to watch West Side Story for free online.
Another way to stream West Side Story for free online? Subscribers to Amazon Music Unlimited can also get six months of Disney+ for free. Sign up for Amazon Music Unlimited here and use the deal to watch West Side Story for free online on Disney+.
You can use the deal to not only watch West Side Story online, but to stream their catalog of music on Amazon as well, including the West Side Story (2021) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and the soundtrack from the 1961 film.
West Side Story 2021 Rating, Runtime, Cast, and Description
The runtime for West Side Story 2021 is 2 hours and 36 minutes, and the film has a PG-13 rating. In addition to newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria and Ansel Elgort as Tony, the film stars Ariana DeBose (Anita), David Alvarez (Bernardo), Mike Faist (Riff), Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino), Ana Isabelle (Rosalía), Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank), Maddie Ziegler (Velma), and Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke). The film also switches the role of kindly shopkeeper Doc to a Puerto Rican matriarch named Valentina, played by former cast member Rita Moreno.
The plot of West Side Story is based on the 1957 stage musical of the same name, and is loosely-based around the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet. In the midst of a battle between two rival street gangs in 1950s Upper West Side New York City, the Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks, Tony and María fall in love despite their affiliations. As the star-crossed lovers’ relationship grows, so do tensions between the gangs, and they end up paying the price.
How to Watch the Original West Side Story Online
Amazon
If you want to catch up on the story (although the new film includes a few key updates), the 1961 version is currently only available to stream on Curia, a relatively new streamer. Another option? One streaming platform you can currently rent or buy West Side Story 1961 on is Amazon Prime (the film is even available to stream in 4K HD). Watch the film online, and then catch the latest Spielberg adaption to see how the iconic story has spanned decades.