In the world of theater and Broadway musicals, there are few shows in history quite as massively successful as Hamilton. The American History rap-infused musical became a massive sensation when it premiered on Broadway a few years back, and is still at the height of pop culture. But there are plenty of Hamilton fans who haven't been able to see the show, given how expensive tickets for both the Broadway show and national tours tend to be. But now it looks like Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award winning work may be hitting theaters, although not in the way you'd expect.
Since the massive success of Hamilton, it seemed like a film adaptation is a bit of an inevitability. Now that's happened, but it's not going to be a new big budget movie blockbuster. Instead, Hamilton may arrive in theaters via a recorded 2016 performance featuring the original cast. Both Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox have reportedly put bids in to put Hamilton in theaters, so it should be interesting to see how it all shakes out out.
The Wall Street Journal's report about Hamilton is sure to excite the many fans of the iconic hip-hopera. Despite its complicated historical plot and literary lyrics, Hamilton has managed to make American History fascinating for a new generation of theatergoers. Popular musical artists have also released covers of the film's original score, allowing an even broader audience to follow Hamilton, Burrs, and The Schuyler Sisters. And although there are tons of fans and the Hamilton soundtrack is massively popular, there are plenty of fans who haven't seen the acclaimed play.
Hamilton isn't the only film project associated with Lin-Manuel Miranda's visionary musical theater catalogue. His other Tony Award winning musical In The Heights is being developed as a live-action movie musical, although it's still rather early in that process. The rights for the In The Heights movie was originally purchased by the Weinstein Company, before allegations made against producer Harvey Weinstein ended both his career, and the company of which he shared a name. Miranda has since procured those rights again, so it's unclear when In The Heights might actually move forward in production.
After Hamilton eventually releases its filmed performance in theaters, it would also stand to reason for a full on movie blockbuster to next on the docket. Lin-Manuel Miranda is now a household name, and likely has the ability to bring his newest Broadway show to any major studio. Given his extensive working relationship with Disney, the House of Mouse seems like a logical choice. He's got a role in Mary Poppins Returns and wrote music for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, so there's a shorthand there. Given Disney's penchant for producing beloved projects, smart money says they want a piece of the Hamilton machine.
CinemaBlend will update you on all things Hamilton as new details are revealed. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
