Benedict Cumberbatch, left, as Doctor Strange, Robert Downey Jr. as...

Benedict Cumberbatch, left, as Doctor Strange, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk and Benedict Wong as Wong star in "Avengers: Infinity Wars." Credit: Marvel Studios/Chuck Zlotnick

WHO Rachel Zegler

THE MOVIE “West Side Story”

THE DEAL Steven Spielberg has found his Maria for a remake of the 1961 Oscar-winning musical, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Rachel Zegler, an unknown 17-year-old high schooler who responded to an open casting call, will play the Puerto Rican girl who embarks on a romance that crosses ethnic lines and street-gang borders. “As a Colombian-American, I am humbled by the opportunity to play a role that means so much to the Hispanic community,” Zegler said in a statement. Ansel Elgort has already been announced as Maria’s love interest, Tony; Rita Moreno, who won a supporting actress Oscar in the original film, will return in a reworked role. Filming is scheduled to begin this summer.

THE MOVIE “Desolation Center”

THE DEAL Stuart Swezey’s documentary on a series of Southern California desert concerts during the 1980s — a precursor to outdoor festivals like Burning Man, Coachella and Lollapalooza — has been picked up by Monoduo Films, according to Deadline. The guerrilla concerts featured such cutting-edge bands as Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Meat Puppets and the industrial-rock legends Einstürzende Neubauten. Swezey was the principal organizer of the events; his film uses his own archival footage and interviews with band members. “Desolation Center” will hold its U.S. debut at Utah’s Slamdance Film Festival Jan. 25.

THE MOVIE “Avengers: Infinity War”

THE DEAL The Disney-Marvel film leads the nominees for the Visual Effects Society Awards with six nods overall, the guild announced earlier this week. Netflix’s sci-fi series “Lost in Space” leads the broadcast field with six nominations, while “Incredibles 2” is the top animated contender, with five. Like many entertainment-industry guilds, the VES is considered a strong predictor of the Oscar nominees and winners in a given field. Notably, “Black Panther” received no VES nominations.


 

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