Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film adaptation ofWest Side Story—the classic musical about rival street gangs in 1950s New York City—has found its male lead,Ansel Elgort, and is on track for a summer production start. Still, the Oscar winner isn’t quite ready to discuss the remake publicly.

“I don’t like to talk about things when I’m in the process. I’m still discovering things as I am working on the film. But I think it’s going to be special,” said Spielberg at the Arthur Miller Foundation Honors in New York on Monday, where he turned out to supportWest Side Story screenwriterTony Kushner—recipient of the foundation’s humanitarian award.

But unlike his collaborator, Kushner had plenty to say about the forthcoming movie. The playwright said that the new adaptation will not be an exact retelling of Robert Wise’s iconic 1961 film, starring Natalie Wood,Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, andGeorge Chakiris. Instead, Spielberg’s version will turn back to the original 1957 Broadway musical written by Arthur Laurents, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics byStephen Sondheim.

“It’s not a straightforward remake [of the movie], but it’s definitely the Jets and the Sharks. It’s New York City. I think people will find a new way to love the story and to love the songs through our interpretation,” said Kushner on the red carpet. “The way I approached it and the way Steven is approaching it is using the great text—the Leonard Bernstein score, which is arguably the most beautiful score ever written for musical theater, and Arthur Laurents’s original book is a masterpiece. And we started building from that.”

Kushner, who also wrote the screenplays for Spielberg’sMunich andLincoln, explained that the new film will touch upon several themes of urban life in the late 1950s, and how issues of ethnic representation shaped and developed culture in that era. “I don’t know if ‘gritty’ is necessarily the right word, but there are aspects of urban life in ‘57, ‘58, ‘59 that weren’t touched on in the 1961 movie that we are focusing on,” said Kushner.

Some critics are against the idea of remakingWest Side Story, arguing that the beloved original film—which won 10 Oscars, including best picture—should be left alone. Kushner, of course, disagrees. “Our version is not meant to wipe out the original film, which is a masterpiece. It’s just meant to be a new interpretation,” he said.

The Pulitzer Prize winner added, “Go on Netflix or Amazon or wherever it is and download it and watch it. You’re crazy if you don’t. Everybody will continue to watch that movie for all time. There are many different versions possible of a great work of art likeWest Side Story, and we are doing our own version.”

But while this will be a different spin on the timeless tale, rest assured: iconic Bernstein and Sondheim songs such as “Tonight,” “I Feel Pretty,” and “America” will all be included in Spielberg’s version. “No one will leave the movie without hearing all the classic songs,” Kushner said. He also noted that he has been working with Sondheim on the new film.

Spielberg surprised some Hollywood onlookers by choosing Elgort to play Jets gang member Tony—who falls for Maria, the sister of the leader of the Sharks—rather than an unknown. But Kushner said Elgort was simply the best person for the part.

“He’s a really amazing young actor. We really wanted to cast young, because it’s really a story about teenagers,” said Kushner. “He’s a wonderful singer, it turns out, and a really terrific dancer. Steven went with him, and we’re very excited. I think the rest of the cast is going to be very exciting too.”

Kushner remained mum, however, about who will star opposite Elgort—though former Fifth Harmony singerCamila Cabello,Liam Payne from One Direction, andGlee actressNaya Rivera are rumored to be auditioning for roles. Filming on Spielberg’s adaptation is set to start in the summer of 2019.

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