There are Broadway blockbusters, and then there's Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton. The Tony Award winning hip hop musical became a pop culture sensation shortly after its Broadway opening, quickly making it the hottest ticket on the great white way. While most people weren't able to get to New York (and get tickets) to see the Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton, Miranda actually had a crew come and film a live performance of the group in hopes of making it a movie. Now that movie is being released early, and heading straight to homes.
The Hamilton movie was originally intended for a full theatrical release courtesy of Disney, with an intended release date of October 2021. But the release has been moved up a year and a half, as Hamilton will arrive shortly: July 3rd, 2020. And rather than heading to theaters, the highly anticipated movie musical experience will actually be released on Disney+. And just like that, you can be in the room where it happens.
This news is sure to be a shock to many, considering how far out we are from Hamilton's intended release date. But it looks like the filmed version of the Broadway musical is completed, and able to arrive over a year early. What's more, Lin-Manuel Miranda and his producers Jeffrey Seller and Thomas Kail had previously expressed their dedication to bring the movie to theaters, rather than streaming on a platform like Disney+. Alas, things change.
The Hamilton movie has been a long time coming, as the original cast opened the show on Broadway back in August of 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda had the foresight to immortalize the group on film before the principle actors started leaving the show for other projects. The movie will employ the use of "live capture" filming, which should provide an intimate transportation into the audience and stage of the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
Former Disney CEO and current Executive Chairman Bob Iger spoke to Hamilton's importance in pop culture, as well as its drastic changes in release strategy, saying:
No other artistic work in the last decade has had the cultural impact of Hamilton—an inspiring and captivating tale told and performed in a powerfully creative way. In light of the extraordinary challenges facing our world, this story about leadership, tenacity, hope, love and the power of people to unite against the forces of adversity is both relevant and impactful.We are thrilled to bring this phenomenon to Disney+ on the eve of Independence Day, and we have the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda and the team behind Hamilton to thank for allowing us to do so more than a year before planned.
Lin-Manuel Miranda clearly has a good relationship with The Walt Disney Company, as he's worked for the House of Mouse on a variety of projects throughout the years. It's likely this collaboration that helped to convince the acclaimed songwriter to change how Hamilton's movie was released. And now Disney+ subscribers will get to see the blockbuster musical from the comfort of their own homes.
Hamilton is a hip hop musical that tells the story of founding father (you guessed it) Alexander Hamilton. In addition to writing the show, which is full of historical and literary references told with modern music, Lin-Manuel Miranda also originated the role of the title character on Broadway. As such, audiences will be seeing the true depth of his talents, as they hear his musical and even see Miranda leading the cast.
The news of Hamilton's new home on Disney+ was also an exciting one for Lin-Manuel Miranda himself. His wife Vanessa posted about the actor/writer's anticipation this morning on social media, complete with a photo. Check it out below.
Lin-Manuel Miranda has been making some serious moves in the world of film lately, especially regarding his Broadway musicals. Because in addition to the Hamilton live stage movie arriving on Disney+, his first musical In he Heights is also getting a full movie adaptation. In the Heights was originally supposed to arrive in theaters this summer, before it was pushed back over global health concerns. Fans of Miranda's work will be treated to Hamilton in the meantime, as In the Heights will arrive one year later than expected.
The Hamilton movie will arrive on Disney+ on July 3rd, and In The Heights will hit theaters June 18, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
