West Side Story | 10 DEC 2021 | RIP Stephen Sondheim | Comes to Disney+ March 2nd

[35MM-18]

I had about 16 people (including myself) in the theatre with me. Most of the empty seats were the ones closest to the screen, which made it look a lot emptier.

 

This is probably my favourite film of the year. It's going to stay that way since Belfast, Licorice Pizza, and Nightmare Alley don't come out here until January and The Worst Person in the World is due out in March (such is life in Ireland), but I also mean it sincerely. It's probably one of Spielberg's best films this side of the millenium. And Rachel Zegler's phenomenal. 

 

I'll probably see this again the first chance I'll get.

[Krissykins]

I feel like the police office scene should be studied by all directors. 

[SpiderByte]

This is going to be bigger when it hits Disney+ than theaters it seems like, at least till they rerelease for Awards season

[Lucas]

THIS SLAPPED SO HARD fucking hell nothing beats watching godtier work displaying so much imagination in every shot. A god damn guy standing in a puddle visual might be the best shot of the year. Most likely seeing this again before the end of the year.

[filmlover]

This was a masterpiece. Been listening to the soundtrack all day.

[Cruel Summer]

The actor being a rapist probably reason It flopped

[Lucas]

Oh this sucks major ass

Edited December 12, 2021 by Lucas

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

Not a great opening, but not a surprise at this point, since it feels like adult titles have done worse this fall than the summer (except House of Gucci). I guess we'll see if December legs will apply with the decimated prestige box office.

 

I came home from the theater and watched the 1961 version again, and most of the changes IMO enhanced the story: even Chino was a better drawn character. I was struck much more by the futility of the gang warfare in this version. The 2021 staging is more cinematic, but I'm also glad the Jerome Robbins choreography was immortalized on film. The Maria and Tony love affair itself is still drippy, but it's Romeo & Juliet-what are going to do?

 

Such a strong cast, I wouldn't be surprised if they won the SAG. Ariana DeBose and Mike Faist for all the Oscars! I thought Ansel was...good? I don't know why it had to be him, but I didn't think he was the dead weight/least valuable player some reviews made him out to be.

Edited December 13, 2021 by BoxOfficeFangrl

[John2015]

How Disney tried to contain Ansel Elgort's sexual-misconduct allegations while marketing "West Side Story"

 

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/ansel-elgort-west-side-story-assault-allegation-1235131496/

[Lucas]

Was stuck on a train for a few hours today and couldn't do anything but think of this film, so I did the unthinkable and got a camrip on my laptop just so I could look at it for a while... without sound - and yet I still sat there watching it for over 50 minutes. Never a dull moment. There is no question that this is god-tier work and deserves every award it gets, and probably more.

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

I was reading Wikipedia for the 1961 version and they allegedly approached Elvis for Tony, but Colonel Parker turned it down (of course). Some truly WTF what-ifs with that one: Robert Redford as Tony! Suzanne Pleshette as Maria (she smokes two packs a day)!

 

It seems like he's not interested in musical roles, and Spielberg apparently handpicked Ansel, but I wonder if there was ever any consideration or Harry Styles as Tony. Disney had been trying to land him for something for a while (the Hans Solo rumors and being offered Prince Eric in Little Mermaid before finally ending up in the MCU) and WSS is from the Mouse House, technically... I don't think the Elgort allegations had much of an impact on the box office, I thought he was good in the role, but if one of the leads had been a singer with a big fanbase...

Edited December 13, 2021 by BoxOfficeFangrl

[titanic2187]

The shockwave of putting things on streaming prove that industry is really not happy about WSS opening regardless just how well the legs would be. 

 

Actually 12x multiplier from preview number isn't really great sign for legs especially when it is at the 10m range. Even JC and FG were at 12x-13x range.  

[Morieris]

I came across this review on...LinkedIn of all places; While we know film is subjective, do you think this has any merit regarding the film?

 

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/josh-johnston_disney-long-ago-rejected-villains-in-favor-activity-6876600669239955456-lE-p

 

I feel it's a little off the mark to start with (20 CF and WDAS aren't the same), but I'm not at all familiar with WSS to go further.

[AJG]

5 minutes ago, Morieris said:

I came across this review on...LinkedIn of all places; While we know film is subjective, do you think this has any merit regarding the film?

 

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/josh-johnston_disney-long-ago-rejected-villains-in-favor-activity-6876600669239955456-lE-p

 

I feel it's a little off the mark to start with (20 CF and WDAS aren't the same), but I'm not at all familiar with WSS to go further.

This reads like wordy hogwash from someone that wants us to believe they know more than they actually do. Confident and wrong at the same time. It’s like a script from one of those clickbait YouTube film “studies”.

Edited December 14, 2021 by AJG

[PDC1987]

On 12/10/2021 at 5:32 AM, vale900 said:

Dear evan Hansen: 8m opening on a 25 M budget during a pandemic. Media: wow such a disaster, let's make 8000 articles in a day about it

 

West side story: 14M opening on a 130M budget during a pandemic. Media: an encouraging start, we are in a pandemic, you have to think about that. 

You're conveniently ignoring one thing; WSS has potential for legs at the box office. The godawful DEH did not.

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

 

 

 

[filmlover]

13 minutes ago, BoxOfficeFangrl said:

 

 

 

62% drop from Sunday. Pretty good. This is probably gonna be like House of Gucci where the audience being so old for the most part results in above average weekdays.

[Morieris]

2 hours ago, AJG said:

wordy hogwash

I mean, it was on Linkedin....

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

 

 

[35MM-18]

Sounds like it should hopefully pass $20 million by the end of the week.