It’s not as if we’re running out of ways to illustrate the acutely wild nature of 2020, but here’s an example just for the musical theater enthusiasts among us: 2020 is so damn strange that Lin-Manuel Miranda fans will actually get to see Hamilton in home theaters before In The Heights. With the pandemic pushing back the theatrical release of the latter to 2021, the playwright and Disney took the opportunity to move plans for the record-breaking Broadway phenomenon about the political rise of Alexander Hamilton up by a year. There’s even an official trailer now to confirm that this is actually happening. A wild year, indeed.
Unlike In The Heights—a movie adaptation of the Tony-winning musical over a decade in the making—Hamilton brings the actual stage production to home audiences shot-for-shot. Miranda appeared on Good Morning America today to chat about the filming process—a three-day endeavor that patched live performances with some appropriately cinematic close-up shots, which were captured after the audience left the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The creator and star also shared that he is currently working on another major project with The Mouse.
“I’m actually writing an new animated musical with Disney Animation,” Miranda said. “I’m collaborating with the Zootopia guys and Jared Bush, who wrote Moana with me. It’s set in Colombia, in Latin America, and that’s all I can say before Bob Iger just shows up in my apartment.” We’ll be sure to report any new details as they surface. For now, check out Hamilton’s trailer below. This also might be a good time to brush up on the cast recording before the film begins streaming on Disney+ July 3.