Which 2021 remake was Spielberg's first musical as director?

West Side Story was Spielberg's first musical as a director, released as a 2021 remake of the classic stage-to-screen story.

The film adapts the 1957 Broadway musical, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Its tragic romance between Tony and Maria reworks Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, placing the rival families in a 1950s New York conflict between the white Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks.

Spielberg's version is not a shot-for-shot remake of the 1961 film. Screenwriter Tony Kushner expanded the social setting, gave greater attention to the Sharks' Puerto Rican identity, and integrated Spanish dialogue. Justin Peck created new choreography, while many of Bernstein's familiar songs remained central to the score.

The 2021 film starred Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler, who made her film debut as Maria, alongside Ariana DeBose and Rita Moreno. Moreno, who won an Oscar for the 1961 film, returned in a new role. The remake received seven Oscar nominations, and DeBose won Best Supporting Actress.