Summary
Steven Spielberg’sWest Side Storyremake bombed at the box office when it arrived in theaters in 2021 – but it arguably surpassed the 1961 original, so it deserved so much more. The movie was a passion project for Spielberg, who’d wanted to direct a musical ever since he saw Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ originalWest Side Storyat a young age. This gangland retelling ofRomeo and Julietrevolves around star-crossed lovers from two sides of a gang war between the Jets and the Sharks: Tony, a reformed former Jet, and Maria, the sister of the Sharks’ leader.
After being delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Spielberg’s reimagining ofWest Side Storyfinally hit theaters on August 05, 2025. Although it was universally acclaimed by critics and earned a boatload of Oscar nods (including a Best Picture nomination and a Best Supporting Actress win for Ariana DeBose),West Side Storybombed at the box office. It didn’t even make back its production budget, let alone its marketing budget. But it deserved so much more, because it’s one of Spielberg’s best recent movies and even, arguably,an improvement over the O.G.West Side Story.
West Side Story Is One Of Steven Spielberg’s Biggest Box Office Bombs
It grossed just $76 million on a $100 million budget
When it was released in 2021, Spielberg’sWest Side Storygrossed just $76 million at the worldwide box office against its budget of $100 million. $76 million isn’t nothing, and other Spielberg movies have made a lot less, but in the case ofWest Side Story, there’s a huge disparity between the cost and the box office returns. IfWest Side Storyhad been made for a more modest budget of $30-40 million, then $76 million wouldn’t seem so bad and might even be considered a success. ButWest Side Storywas hurt by its mega-sized $100 million budget.
The usual rule of thumb would suggest that, on a blockbuster budget of $100 million,West Side Storywould need to gross around $200 million to break even. That would mean that, with a measly $76 million gross, it’s already $124 million in the red. But according toVariety, it’s even worse than that. Likely due to the costs of delaying the release by a year,Varietyreported thatWest Side Storyhad a break-even point of $300 million. So, it’s actually $224 million in the red, making it one of Spielberg’s biggest bombs.
What Went Wrong With West Side Story’s Box Office?
There were a few reasons for West Side Story’s underperformance
There were a few reasons forthe box office failure of Spielberg’sWest Side Story. The source material might have been a little too old-fashioned to appeal to younger audiences.The musical genre in general has struggled at the box officesince its heyday in the 1960s (when the originalWest Side Storyenjoyed plenty of success).In the HeightsandDear Evan Hansenboth bombed in the same year. It’s gotten to the point where movies likeWonkaandMean Girlshave hidden the fact they’re musicals in their marketing – butWest Side Storydidn’t have that option.
A big part of it was just bad timing. If it had gotten out before the pandemic, it might’ve been a hit. The release date was delayed by a year to accommodate the pandemic, butthe effects of COVID were still being felt at the box office when theaters reopened in 2021. Most audiences had gotten used to watching movies at home, and even fervent filmgoers were still reluctant to return to the enclosed space of a theater.Snake Eyes,The Last Duel, andThe Suicide Squadall featured big movie stars and all bombed at the box office.
1961’sWest Side Storygrossed $44.1 million on a budget of $6.75 million.
West Side Story Is One Of Spielberg’s Best Movies This Century
Spielberg’s West Side Story might even outshine the original
Spielberg’sWest Side Storyremake deserved to do so much better, because it’s easily one of his best movies of the 21st century. The director’s output on this side of 2000 has been a little hit-and-miss.The Terminalwas too saccharin to make a real emotional connection,Ready Player Oneis a superficial hodgepodge of pop culture references, andIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s alien storyline was a bitter disappointment.West Side Storyis easily one of Spielberg’s finest 21st-century efforts, along withCatch Me If you’re able to,Bridge of Spies, andThe Fabelmans.
Not only is Spielberg’sWest Side Storyremake a great movie;it might even be better than the original. The original movie’s musical numbers are shot with mostly stationary cameras, but Spielberg’s camera swoops through each number and joins the dancers on the dancefloor. Plus,the performances are stronger in Spielberg’sWest Side Story, the themes are explored in more depth, and the visuals are beautifully expressionistic.West Side Storydidn’t deserve to be a flop; it should’ve been a hit.
West Side Story
Cast
Based on the 1957 Broadway musical, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is the second feature-length film to adapt the musical for the big screen. Starring Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort, the film tells the story of the forbidden love between a young couple on opposite sides of a conflict between two rival gangs in 1950s New York City.
