There has been a change of plans! A film version of the Hamilton stage show, featuring the original Broadway cast, was originally set for a theatrical release but it will instead hit Disney+ for home viewing this July.
The project had a planned theatrical release date of October 15, 2021, but fans will get to experience the musical extravaganza much earlier on July 3 of this year via the streamer. Lin-Manuel Miranda announced the change via a tweet this morning which can be seen below:
Disney paid $75 million for worldwide film rights for the musical, beating other suitors in the process. What's questionable is how the straight to streaming development impacts Disney’s attempts to monetize its big investment? Disney won the deal with a commitment for a wide global theatrical release for the 2 hour and 40-minute movie, which was shot two weeks before the original cast left the production. Part of the reason for the earlier release via streaming, especially over the fourth of July weekend, is that it should be a top choice for families over the holiday frame, especially since we'll still be under a shelter at home order, albeit a tad less strict if we believe that the COVID-19 pandemic could subside by then. News of this broke this morning and movie theater chains have yet to comment on the film skipping a theatrical run but I have a feeling something will be said by those chains who were looking forward to the potential financial success of its run in theaters.
Hamilton is one of the biggest Broadway musical success stories of all-time. The production won 11 Tony Awards in 2016, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Hamilton topped the Broadway box office charts and the total gross for the musical since opening in 2015 is more than $636 million which estimates it has been seen by 2.6 million people. Miranda has said the film version will allow people to see the stage show without having to drop $500 for a ticket and now they won't even have to drop the price of a movie ticket to see the production and can enjoy it from the comfort of their own home. Touring companies are in San Francisco, London with another that would have started by now in Los Angeles, and Australia and Germany being eyed as well but since live performances are also shuttered, it makes the Disney+ release strategy look like the best-case scenario.
Director Tommy Kail directed both the stage version and the movie, which consisted of shooting three live performances and also some setup shots without an audience. All of the footage was used to create multiple angles, to ensure the cinematic nature of the event which means no matter where you're at in your home, there won't be a bad seat in the house. This will be as good as it gets for anyone that wanted to see Hamilton during its Broadway run with the original cast.
Do YOU think this was the best way to release the film? Will theater chains have something to say about this?