I am now convinced that Americans just don’t really care to watch Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.”
Yes, despite a slew of Oscar nominations, not to mention glowing reviews, “West Side Story” has officially struggled to find an audience in all formats; streaming, theatrical, VOD, you name it. Safe for musical fans, there is no demographic whatsoever that has taken an interest in the film.
Its tepid $30 million intake at the box-office was one thing, but it is now bombing on VOD. Spielberg’s musical didn’t even crack the top ten on iTunes, this in its first week in digital release. The only chart it cracked was digital video store VUDU’s, barely squeaking into the #10 spot.
Suffice to say, it just doesn’t look as though “West Side Story” will break even, especially with what was reported to be a $100+ million budget to make the film. When all is said and done, a loss anywhere between $10-15 million is estimated.