Academy Award-Winning Actress Rita Moreno Is “Nervous” About Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’

To most film fans, the idea of a remake, especially of a classic film, is a bit sad. Why remake something that already exists and is damn good? Well, when you look at the upcoming remake of “West Side Story,” the justification behind its existence is clear — Steven Spielberg is directing. Sure, that’s enough of a reason to give the film a chance for many fans, but for some, including one of the stars of the original film, there’s still a serious amount of trepidation surrounding the project.

In a new interview with EW, actress Rita Moreno, who won an Academy Award for her role in the 1961 film, discusses the remake and if she would like to show up in a cameo. Both answers are sure to surprise fans.

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“That would be strange,” she said about a possible cameo in Spielberg’s remake. “I think it would be distracting. No, no, no I don’t belong in there in any capacity.”

It’s fairly commonplace for actors to return to a remake of a feature film they’re best known for. But for Moreno, she offers a pretty valid reason why she should probably step back. That being said, when asked if she thought the remake was a good idea or not, that’s when Moreno voices a bit of concern for the future film.

“Tony Kushner, I get nervous,” she said. “I get nervous because you can only get just so gritty and then is it the West Side Story we know? Should it be the ‘West Side Story’ we know? I don’t know. I’m kind of torn about the Kushner aspect of it.”

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For those not aware of Kushner, the screenwriter and playwright is probably best known for his work on the play (and subsequent TV miniseries) “Angels in America.” For his work on those projects, he won a Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award, and Primetime Emmy. In addition to that, Kushner has teamed with Spielberg on a few projects, earning an Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his screenplay work on “Munich” and “Lincoln.” Clearly, he’s a critically-acclaimed writer, but Moreno is just concerned his more serious tastes will alter the “West Side Story” DNA a bit too much.

Ultimately, however, the actress is hoping for the best, saying, “I just want it to be successful.”

Production on Spielberg’s “West Side Story” is set to happen during the summer of 2019, with an anticipated release in 2020.