West Side Story Officially Gets Disney+ Release Date

Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake was a critical hit, but even then it didn’t manage to draw in the audience it was expecting at the box office. Now West Side is set to make another splash with streaming as Disney+ has announced its release date on their platform.

As per the official announcement, West Side Story will be hitting Disney+ on March 2. Here’s the poster:

https://twitter.com/disneyplus/status/1491412821103550465

Despite being dubbed a box office bomb, West Side Story is still going strong critically, having been nominated for seven Oscars including Best Directing, Best Supporting Actress (Ariana DeBose), and Best Picture. Hopefully by releasing on Disney+, audiences will get to see exactly what they missed out on when the film was released in theaters.

While the 1961 West Side Story was pretty fantastic even by today’s standards, it has been criticized for whitewashing, with white actors taking on the roles of the Latin American characters. With Spielberg’s version, it’s said that the reboot takes another serious look into racial tensions, but at the same time, it builds on the modern camera work and intense dance sequences that the original was known for.

It’s a shame it wasn’t able to compete with the hype of having three Spider-Men in one movie.

Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks — two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.

Catch Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story when it hits Disney+ on March 2.