Ansel Elgort cast as Tony in Stephen Spielberg's remake of Broadway musical West Side Story

Ansel Elgort will play the protagonist in Steven Spielberg’s take on the classic Broadway musical, West Side Story.

According to Variety , the Baby Driver star will play the role of Tony, co-founder of street gang the Jets, in the remake of the 1961 romantic musical drama.

The part has been formerly essayed by Larry Kert in the original 1957 Broadway musical and Richard Beymer in the 1961 movie.

Angels in America playwright Tony Kushner has penned the revival script.

West Side Story is a musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

The original was inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and revolves around the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs. In the 1961 adaptation, Tony was essayed by Richard Breymar, the founder of Jets. The film went on bag 11 nominations and winning 10 Oscars, including best picture and best director.

Spielberg’s latest directorial ventures were the science fiction Ready Player One with Tye Sheridan in the lead and The Post , starring Meryl Streep, Sarah Paulson and Tom Hanks.

Spielberg, Kevin McCollum and Kristie Macosko Krieger will produce the movie for Fox.

Filming is set to begin in the summer of 2019.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)