Unless you have lived under a rock, or just really hate musical theater, there has been no escaping Hamilton, the hit rap musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda about American founding father Alexander Hamilton. The tickets were not only expensive, but exceptionally hard to get, and many fans never got to see the show in person. But there was hope! A version of the show with the original cast was shot in its original venue, but no one knew when (or even if) it would see the light of day.
Now, Disney will be releasing the film in theaters, and likely then on Disney+, for all to enjoy.
The show’s creator even announced it himself on Twitter:
Disney presents:
Hamilton.
With The Original Broadway Cast.
Filmed onstage at The Richard Rodgers Theatre.
In A Theater Near You.
October 15, 2021.#Hamilfilm pic.twitter.com/z4ohfWXzi3— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) February 3, 2020
There had been murmurings for a long time about when this filmed version of the show would be released, especially given how popular the show got. It turns out there was a bidding war over it, and, according to Deadline, sources say Disney paid $75 million for the right to show it. Now, that is a steep price, but given how much money this movie is going to rake in, it’s probably a smart investment.
Now, it is interesting that the date is nearly two years away. One has to wonder if it’s because of something in the contract, or if Disney is planning on doing something big with it. Could this be getting its own roadshow? If any musical was going to warrant one, it would be Hamilton.
But the historical musical isn’t the only Lin-Manuel Miranda property to be hitting the big screen. A film adaptation of his first Broadway hit In the Heights is set to premiere in theaters on June 26, 2020.
Hamilton is currently set to premiere in theaters on October 15, 2021.