'Baby Driver' Star Ansel Elgort to Star in Steven Spielberg's 'West Side Story'

Steven Spielberg has found the lead for his remake of the musical "West Side Story."

According to The Hollywood Reporter "Baby Driver" star Ansel Elgort has been cast as the male lead for the upcoming film. He'll play Tony, who Larry Kert first played in the original 1957 Broadway musical. Richard Beymer played the role in the 1961 film.

Out playwright Tony Kushner ("Angels in America") wrote the adaptation for the musical, which was originally written by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim with music by Leonard Bernstein.

Back in January, it was reported Spielberg put out an open casting call, looking for singers and dancers to fill out his take on "West Side Story." THR writes that the director's search for casting the project began to take "so long that Hollywood observers worried the project would be shelved, just as casting challenges caused Spielberg to shelve 'The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara.' The production looked at thousands of actors and dancers in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Puerto Rico, with many thinking Spielberg would cast an unknown in the lead."

Spielberg's "West Side Story" is slated to start production next summer.

Though he's stared in a number of films, Elgort also has a music career. Check out his single "Supernova" below.