The Walt Disney Company has announced that the musical Hamilton, which was scheduled to debut in theaters on October 15, 2021, will stream exclusively July 3 on Disney+. The filmed version of the 11-time-Tony Award, GRAMMY Award, Olivier Award, and Pulitzer Prize-winning stage musical is now set to be released at the beginning of the Independence Day weekend.
Producers for Hamilton, the film of the original Broadway production, include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeffrey Seller, and Thomas Kail, who also directs.
“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.”
A Change of Plans
Disney acquired the filmed version of the stage play for a record-breaking $75 million. When Disney made the deal, the film was scheduled to debut in theaters October 15, 2021, well after Hamilton ceased all staged productions. However, Disney bumped up the release by over a year due to theaters being closed indefinitely over concerns of the coronavirus.
Unlike other staged plays that made their way to movie houses via filmed adaptations – like Chicago, Les Misérables, and Cats – Hamilton is a professionally filmed version of the Broadway show. The film was edited together using recordings shot over three live performances back in 2016 before the original cast members left the production.
According to Disney, the film combines the best elements of live theater, film, and streaming, and is a leap forward in the art of “live capture.” Hamilton will introduce audiences into the world of the Broadway show in a uniquely intimate way.
New Content for Disney+
Releasing Hamilton early on the streamer, which has north of 50 million subscribers worldwide, will help Disney bolster its digital library with exclusive content.
Production on original shows like Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki has been suspended indefinitely, which means they may not debut on Disney+ until 2021. The second season of The Mandalorian doesn’t drop until October, so Hamilton will give current subscribers A-list entertainment in the meantime.
Filmed 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.
Let’s Hear From You!
Are you a Hamilton fan? Excited to watch it on Disney+? If you aren’t a Disney+ subscriber, would this make you sign up?