Steven Spielberg's 'West Side Story' is coming to Disney+—find out how to stream it
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The 94th annual Academy Awards are set for Sunday, March 27 and it's no surprise that Steven Spielberg's West Side Story —an extravagant remake of one of the most beloved musicals of all time—made by one of the most famous directors in Hollywood history—is one of the big contenders at this year's show. If you haven't checked it out yet, it's coming to Disney+.
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Earlier this month, Disney announced its popular streaming service would be streaming 2021's West Side Story on Wednesday, March 2. (Note that it'll also be available on HBO Max on the same day). If you sign up today, you can watch the ABC one-hour special Something’s Coming: West Side Story— A Special Edition of 20/20 on Disney+ right now.
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If you're new to the House of Mouse's streaming site or have never heard the tale of Tony and Maria before, we've got all the info you need.
What is West Side Story about?
Based on the beloved 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, West Side Story is a tale of love and rivalry on the streets of San Juan Hill on Manhattan's Upper West Side. One night, smooth-talking ex-con Tony (Ansel Elgort) has a chance encounter with the beautiful Maria (Rachel Zegler) and the two become infatuated. The problem is that Tony is close friends with members of the Jets, a local gang of Manhattanites worried their homes are being overtaken by immigrants. On the other hand, Maria's brother (David Alvarez) is a major player with the Sharks, a gang of Puerto Rican immigrants trying to survive in a town that hasn't welcomed them with open arms. Maria and Tony try to stay close while their friends and family want to tear each other apart.
Where can you stream West Side Story?
You can watch West Side Story, along with a collection of other acclaimed musicals, on Disney+ in the U.S. and most international homes starting Wednesday, March 2. (Disney says the film will launch in Taiwan on March 9 and Japan on March 30.) The streaming service is available via an internet connection if you live in Australia, Austria, Canada, the Channel Islands, France, Germany, India, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, or the U.S. Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming platform can be accessed from desktop browsers, mobile devices, game consoles, and more. Viewers can use the IMAX Enhanced filter on the Movies page to see all films available in IMAX’s expanded aspect ratio, and select Disney+ movies will feature a tab labeled “Versions,” which will allow viewers to access either the IMAX Enhanced or Widescreen versions.
If you're a fan of song and dance, Disney+ has a plethora of other musicals for you to enjoy at home or on the go. You can watch other timeless classics like The Sound of Music and Newsies, or enjoy more recent hits like Hamilton. There are also classic cartoons from Disney's heyday, inspiring documentaries produced by National Geographic and spectacular blockbusters from the worlds of Marvel and Star Wars. Disney+ isn't just a home for oldies as it has been a recent destination for exclusive premieres of new movies, including the upcoming Disney and Pixar collaboration Turning Red set for March 11.
How do you sign up for Disney+?
To stream those shows and movies, you can sign up for Disney+ right now and pay a monthly subscription of $7.99. You can also get Disney+ for a year with an annual fee of $79.99.
You can watch Disney+ content on Apple devices, Android smartphones, Roku streaming sticks, Google Chromecast, Xbox and PlayStation consoles, LG TVs, Samsung tech, Chrome OS, Mac OS, or Windows PC.
West Side Story was distributed by 20th Century Studios, formerly 20th Century Fox that was acquired by Disney in 2018. That acquisition allowed other Fox movies, including Avatar, Ice Age and select entries in the X-Men series, to be available on Disney+. This is alongside Disney classics like Beauty and the Beast, The Incredibles, The Jungle Book and Frozen. You can even watch hit TV shows like The Simpsons, The Muppet Show and Black-ish.
Sign up for Disney+.
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