casting

Obviously They Weren’t Going to Remake West Side Story Without Rita Moreno

Meet Valentina. Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images

Even if you’re Steven Spielberg, by law, you’re not allowed to get away with remaking West Side Story without Rita Moreno. Per Deadline, Moreno, who won an Oscar for playing Anita in the 1961 film, has signed on to Spielberg’s remake to play Valentina, who is “a reconceived and expanded version of the character of Doc, the owner of the corner store in which Tony works.” The remake will star Ansel Elgort as Tony, and have a script by Tony Kushner, though it hasn’t announced the rest of the cast. Spielberg knew that they wanted Moreno involved “from our earliest discussions,” according to Deadline, and created the new role for her. In addition to playing Valentina, Moreno will also be an executive producer on the new West Side Story, because Rita Moreno knows how to make a deal.

Rita Moreno Will Appear in Spielberg’s West Side Story