Most certainly, Lin-Manuel Miranda has proven himself throughout the past few years. The Hamilton and In the Heights actor-writer has many fans and several awards to his name, and he's not looking to slow down anytime soon. Rather, Miranda is currently hard-at-work on his feature directorial debut, Netflix's tick, tick...BOOM!, which is based on the semi-autobiographical musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson (Rent).
We've seen only a few quick bits of footage from this forthcoming title, but we're definitely curious to see Miranda's vision as a filmmaker. While we wait for tick, tick... BOOM!'s pending release later this year, though, we do know some key bits of information about the upcoming musical adaptation, which we'll share with you now!
Here's what we know (so far) about Lin-Manuel Miranda's tick, tick ... BOOM!
Tick, Tick...BOOM! Is Based On The Semi-Autobiographical Musical By Jonathan Larson
First brought to the stage in 1990, tick, tick...BOOM! is a semi-autobiographical musical written and composed by Jonathan Larson, who's best known for his Pultizer and Tony-winning musical, Rent. The show follows the playwright's aspirations and continued hardships to find and eventually define himself in a competitive NYC theater market, featuring an on-stage surrogate who's not-so-incidentally also named Jonathan Larson.
Since its first production over 30 years ago, the introspective musical has been brought to the stage many more times. During his senior year of college, Lin-Manuel Miranda caught one of these performances and was instantly swept up by Larson's work. The fellow Tony winner was deeply moved by the writer's personal reflections and lyrical desires, and he felt compelled to bring it to the screen. Now, with the help of Netflix and producers Ron Howard and Brian Glazer, Miranda will finally debut his cinematic take on this heartfelt material.
It Follows An Aspiring Playwright On The Verge Of A Mid-Life Crisis
What's the plot of tick, tick... BOOM!? In Lin-Manuel Miranda's upcoming stage-to-screen adaptation, we follow the plight of Jon (Andrew Garfield), an aspiring theater composer who's still waiting tables in New York City while harboring dreams of writing the next great musical. Jon is feeling pressure from his girlfriend, Susan (Alexandra Shipp), who's tired of putting her life on hold for her boyfriend's career ambitions. As his 30th birthday quickly approaches, our fledging idealist must decide whether his ambitions are worth the anxiety — and whether his theatrical dreams are within reach.
Tick, Tick…BOOM! Is Lin-Manuel Miranda's Feature Directorial Debut
Having proven his skills several times over, both on the stage and screen, Lin-Manuel Miranda is ready to jump behind the camera for his feature directorial debut. A movie adaptation of tick, tick ... BOOM! has been a passion project for Miranda for decades. Now that he's rocking Hamilton's clout, the acclaimed playwright can finally realize his cinematic vision for this project.
The freshman filmmaker first signed on a few years ago, but it took some time before his always-busy schedule cleared up. Certainly, Lin-Manuel Miranda has expressed a great deal of enthusiasm for this movie in past interviews, and he has showcased great tenacity in getting it made. Hopefully, that beaming zeal translates to the screen.
Admittedly, while inexperienced, Lin-Manuel Miranda also previously directed 1996's hour-long Clayton Friends, though tick, tick ... BOOM! is considered his first feature. Nevertheless, with tons of stage and screen experience, this newest addition to the multi-hyphenate's resume will hopefully be another triumph for the well-established performer.
The Musical Stars Andrew Garfield, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexandra Shipp, Bradley Whitford, And More
Unsurprisingly, Lin-Manuel Miranda can attract some serious talent. The multi-award-winning Hamilton frontman is one of the most prominent up-and-coming performers in the entertainment industry, and he knows how to spot major talent and get them involved in his high-profile projects. When it comes to tick, tick ... BOOM!, Miranda is strictly behind-the-camera, opting not to act this time around, but he gathered a few recognizable faces to lend their skills to this adaptation.
At the forefront is Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson, our morally-distressed playwright. Also joining our Tony-winning actor is Alexandra Shipp as Susan, Vanessa Hudgens as Karessa Johnson, Judith Light as Rosa Stevens, Robin de Jesús as Michael, Joshua Henry as Roger, and Bradley Whitford as Stephen Sondheim. That's a hell of a cast, and Hudgens has discussed Miranda's open, collaborative process as a director. That said, it's hard to get a bad performance out of Andrew Garfield, even though we haven't heard him belt out a tune yet. But, that time will come soon enough.
Tick, Tick...BOOM! Was Adapted To The Screen By Dear Evan Hansen’s Steven Levenson
While Jonathan Larson's material serves as the inspiration for this upcoming movie, the playwright is unfortunately unable to see the fruit of his labors. The scribe passed away in 1996, only a few years after tick, tick...BOOM! premiered Off-Off-Broadway, and it wasn't until David Auburn revamped the solo work into a three-actor piece that the show found its way Off-Broadway in 2001, followed by several touring productions thereafter.
With that said, tick, tick ... BOOM!'s screenplay comes courtesy of Steven Levenson, who's best known for his Tony-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen, which is also being adapted for the screen and is expected to come out later this year. It should be noted that he also wrote that movie adaptation. Both of these movies serve as the writer's first produced features, though Levenson has also written for a few prominent TV shows, including Masters of Sex, Wayward Pines, and Fosse/Verdon, the latter of which featured Lin-Manuel Miranda. Additionally, Levenson will write a new film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof.
The Movie Finished Filming In November 2020
While it took some time before Lin-Manuel Miranda could call the shots on tick, tick ... BOOM!, the filmmaker finally got cameras rolling in early 2020. With Netflix footing the bill, Miranda began production in earnest in March. Alas, filming only lasted a few weeks before the production was shut down due to the pandemic.
They later resumed in October, albeit with heavy restrictions, and the process was finally finished in November. Like many 2020 productions, tick, tick... BOOM! faced no shortage of difficulties while maneuvering around this terrifying global ordeal, but the movie is now officially in the can and it should, hopefully, be ready soon. Lin-Manuel Miranda and his team are hard at work putting his debut together for its unannounced release date later this year.
Tick, Tick...BOOM! Will Debut On Netflix Later In 2021
Now that the movie is in post-production, you won't have to wait too long to see tick, tick... BOOM! As a Netflix production, Lin-Manuel Miranda's feature will be available to stream sometime in the near future, no matter what the situation is like for theaters worldwide. While it's not yet determined when the film is coming out, Netflix's recent announcement video claimed that it'll be released within this calendar year. Most likely, it will hit the site either in the fall or winter, in order to prepare for its inevitable awards season campaign. But, nothing is official yet.
Hopefully, more details will arrive soon enough, especially since Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut is much-anticipated by movie fans and musical lovers everywhere.
Are you excited for Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut? Let us know below!
