Disney and the team behind the original Broadway production of “Hamilton” announced today that a filmed version of the stage production, featuring members of the original cast, would be released to Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, on July 3, 2020. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeffrey Seller and Thomas Kail produced the show that earned 11 Tony Awards and Kail directs the filmed version.
“I’m so proud of how beautifully Tommy Kail has brought ‘Hamilton’ to the screen. He’s given everyone who watches this film the best seat in the house,” said Lin-Manuel Miranda. “I’m so grateful to Disney and Disney+ for reimagining and moving up our release to July 4th weekend of this year, in light of the world turning upside down. I’m so grateful to all the fans who asked for this, and I’m so glad that we’re able to make it happen. I’m so proud of this show. I can’t wait for you to see it.”
When Disney first announced they had scored the rights to the filmed version of the stage musical, it was heading to movie theaters before into our homes. But the new normal means we’ll get the opportunity to stream it first.
The July 3rd release is around a year ahead of when it would have showed up at a theater near you. With theatrical experiences for plays or movies closed for at least the near future, it’s nice Disney decided to skip it to the front of the release queue for Disney Plus.
That said, some of us may still want to see it on the big screen someday. I hope it does make it out to movie theaters when it is again safe to spend a couple hours in the dark surrounded by strangers who may or may not be infectious.
The film promises a leap forward in the art of “live capture” which aims to transport its audience into the world of the Broadway show in a uniquely intimate way. Combining the best elements of live theater, film, and streaming, the result is a cinematic stage performance that is a wholly new way to experience “Hamilton.”
“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,” said Robert A. Iger, Executive Chairman of The Walt Disney Company. “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.”
Filmed over multiple performances at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016, “Hamilton” features Tony Award winners Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Tony Award nominees Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jonathan Groff as King George; Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton; and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; and Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton.
The cast also includes Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana DeBose, Hope Easterbrook, Sydney James Harcourt, Sasha Hutchings, Thayne Jasperson, Elizabeth Judd, Jon Rua, Austin Smith, Seth Stewart and Ephraim Sykes.
If you’re not already a subscriber to Disney Plus, will the addition of “Hamilton” convince you to sign up? Let us know in the comments below.