The past two weeks' news cycle has been wild, as global concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic have affected all aspects of daily life. Coronavirus has brought the entertainment industry to a screeching halt, as movies are delayed and TV and film sets are suspended indefinitely. While cinephiles are devastated over the delay in movies like No Time to Die and F9, seemingly all upcoming movies are being affected. This includes John M. Chu's upcoming film adaptation of In the Heights, and Lin-Manuel Miranda recently explained exactly how the film world's stalemate affected the musical blockbuster.
Before Hamilton took the world by storm, Lin-Manuel Miranda won the Tony for his hip hop Broadway debut In The Heights. The beloved musical was a game changer for the theater world, so fans are eager to see it adapted for the big screen. The first trailer is colorful and vibrant, but Miranda recently explained movie's current challenge as film sets are shut down. As he put it,
We were literally recording the score when all of this started happening. There’s a lot that remains to be done on that movie. We were finishing the score and the mixing and just getting the music exactly right.
It looks like those involved with In The Heights' music and editing were in the midst of working on getting the movies ready for theaters before COVID-19 concerns halted work on seemingly any upcoming movies. As such, Lin-Manuel Miranda and company are going to have to work doubly hard once they're able to get back in the studio/editing room and complete the project.
Lin-Manuel Miranda's comments come from his recent appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show Live!, and is sure to excite theater fans everywhere. O'Donnell brought back her '90s talk show from the courtesy of her own home in order to raise money for The Actors Fund and theater professionals who are currently unemployed after Broadway was temporarily closed down. Miranda appeared to help fundraise, which is when he was able to update the public about In The Heights' current status.
In the Heights may have wrapped production before sets were shown down, but filming isn't the only necessary process in making a movie a reality. Lin-Manuel Miranda specifically referenced the score, which is an important aspect of any movie. But considering how music is connected to the upcoming movie's story, this is especially important.
Since so many movies are heading to video on demand as a result of theaters closing, it begs the question: could In the Heights not end up in theaters at all? Lin-Manuel Miranda addressed this possibility as well, saying:
I’m really hopeful that that’s something we all get to watch in the theaters together — when it’s time, and no sooner, to go out.
Well, that was honest. It looks like Lin-Manuel Miranda is really hoping that In the Heights will be shown in theaters. This might mean the movie also ends up being delayed, if theaters are not reopened by the time its release date hits. Miranda has been known to play the long game before; Hamilton's original broadway cast was recorded back in 2017, allowing the sensational musical to hit theaters in its entirety thanks to Disney.
In the Heights is currently expected to hit theaters on June 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
