Back in February, Hamilton fans were thrilled to hear that Disney+ would stream a cinematic version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original Broadway production, which nearly broke the Tony Award record and fetched a Pulitzer Prize, a Grammy, and an Olivier Award as well. The on-and-off Broadway tours proved to be outrageously successful, and Disney+ reportedly paid $75 million to acquire the film version for streaming. The catch, at the time, was that the project wouldn’t arrive until October 2021, but the world is much different now, and Disney+ has bumped up the streaming date to July 3, 2020.
A Disney+ press release details how this film will bring the excitement of a theater (something that we can’t experience right now for an obvious reason) into living rooms, right in time for the Independence Day weekend. The movie version promises to bring “live capture” to viewers in an artistic way, which will harness the power of streaming in an intimate manner, for something that Hamilton fans have never experienced:
“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.
For his part, Miranda has expressed gratitude to Disney for bumping up the release date, “in light of the world turning upside down.” He’s thrilled to make this viewing experience happen for fans at all, and in a speedier way now, which might provide a beacon of light during these ominous times. Pull out your wigs and get your Founding Father cosplay ready. Miranda’s own lyrics — “Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now!” — couldn’t be more fitting (again) than they are in 2020.
