AceShowbiz - Steven Spielberg has praised the "brilliantly talented, fiercely committed, generous and apparently inexhaustible" cast and crew of "West Side Story" after wrapping on the reboot.

The director penned a note to those who worked on the much-anticipated film, which was shared on 20th Century Fox's official Twitter page on Wednesday, October 2.

"This has been a journey without precedence: A joyful, stunningly moving, endlessly surprising encounter with the story and score of one of the world's greatest musicals," he wrote in a letter to the team.

"My brilliantly talented, fiercely committed, generous and apparently inexhaustible cast and crew of hundreds have given our film everything they've got. And already I can say that the film we'll be releasing on December 18, 2020 owes everything to them, as does its immensely grateful director."

Alongside the letter, the post revealed three new pictures from the set of the reboot, including a behind-the-scenes snap with lead actors Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, David Alvarez and Ariana DeBose, as well as a selfie of Spielberg alongside original movie star Rita Moreno, who appears in the revamped film as Valentina.

The famed filmmaker went on to thank the city of New York for their patience as they filmed the movie, adding: "Thanks for the warm welcomes we encountered everywhere, from pedestrians and policemen and neighbourhoods and kids. We couldn't have made our musical without you."

Following Spielberg's post, Rachel - who was an unknown before landing the career-making role of Maria - took to her own Instagram page to share the same shot of the lead actors with the director, and wrote: "i do believe i have been changed for the better."