On Friday, July 3rd, Disney+ will debut a film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award-winning musical, Hamilton.
Since taking the stage just five years ago, the hip-hop musical has become a major cultural phenomenon across the globe. When Broadway is actually up and running, Hamilton: An American Musical is one of the hottest tickets in town, with seats often going on secondary markets for well above the already-expensive face value. Now, for the first time, people will be able to watch the 11-time Tony-awarded, Pulitzer Prize-winning drama from the comforts of their own home.
So, what exactly is the deal with Disney+’s Hamilton movie, and how can you watch it? Read on for all the details. Update: Read our film review of Hamilton here.
How Can I Watch Hamilton?
The movie will be streaming exclusively on Disney+. Unfortunately, the service is no longer offering a free trial, as is the standard for most of its competitors. Still, it’s a relatively inexpensive streamer, as it’s available for $6.99 a month or just $69.99 for a year. Sign up here!
You can also package Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+ for just $12.99 a month. If you already have one of those service and have been considering adding Disney+, now is the perfect time! Get the bundle deal now.
In addition to streaming on demand, Disney+ allows you to save certain offerings to watch offline. That means you should be able to bring Hamilton with you wherever you go — that is, if you’re even going anywhere these days.
When Does Hamilton Premiere?
Hamilton will debut at precisely 12:00 a.m. PT/3:00 a.m. ET on July 3rd. It was originally set to debut in theaters in October of next year, but Disney moved up the release and set it for a streaming release in response to the coronavirus pandemic. With so many movies being postponed due to the ongoing health crisis, it’s certainly a treat to be getting such an anticipated feature early!
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What Is the Hamilton Movie?
The Hamilton movie is not, in fact, a movie. It’s actually a live stage filming, capturing a pair of June 2016 performances of the musical at New York City’s Richard Rodgers Theatre. The production was filmed over the course of three days, including during two actual shows with cameras situated in different locations in the audience. On the off day between performances, additional footage was captured using close-ups, dolly shots, crane shots, and standard filming techniques to give the whole thing a cinematic feel unlike anything you can witness on Broadway.
Who Is in the Hamilton Movie?
The production features most of the original Broadway cast, though ensemble member Betsy Struxness left Hamilton before filming took place. Miranda stars as the title character, Alexander Hamilton, while Leslie Odom, Jr. plays Aaron Burr, Daveed Diggs portrays Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, Phillipa Soo is Eliza Hamilton, and Renée Elise Goldsberry takes on the role of Angelica Schuyler.
Other cast members include Christopher Jackson (George Washington), Okieriete Onaodowan (Hercules Mulligan and James Madison), Anthony Ramos (John Laurens and Philip Hamilton), Jasmine Cephas Jones (Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds), and Jonathan Groff (King George III).
The ensemble features Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana DeBose, Hope Easterbrook, Sydney James Harcourt, Sasha Hutchings, Thayne Jasperson, Elizabeth Judd, Jon Rua, Austin Smith, Seth Stewart, and Ephraim Sykes.
Is the Hamilton Movie Different from the Broadway Show?
Only in the slightest of ways. Disney and Miranda wanted to give the film a PG-13 rating so that families would feel better showing it to their kids. That meant curbing some of the language, as the MPAA says anything with more than one use of the F-word automatically gets an R rating; Hamilton has three. In the song “Yorktown”, the word is muted out, while a record scratch replaces the cuss in “Washington on Your Side”. The one F that remains is in “Say No to This”, while all other language remains unchanged.
…I literally gave two fucks so the kids could see it:
1. In Yorktown, there's a mute over "I get the f___ back up again"
2. "Southern *record scratch*kin' Democratic Republicans."
You can sing whatEVER you like at home (even sync up the album)!
Love you. Enjoy.— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) June 22, 2020
Will There Be an Intermission?
Yep! Just like a real Broadway show, there will be an intermission with a one-minute countdown clock to give you time to hit the bathroom or grab some more snacks.
What Else Is on Disney+?
Plenty! In addition to the majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Star Wars universe (including the excellent The Mandalorian!), and all your classic Disney favorites, there’s even more new content coming to Disney+ in July.
The new show starring Jim Henson’s iconic puppets, Muppets Now makes its debut this month, while Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Mighty Ducks finally come to the streamer. Other highlights include Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, Ice Age: Collision Course, 2009’s Race to Witch Mountain, the first two seasons of Marvel Funko, and more.
