Unlike In The Heights, another Lin Manuel-Miranda Broadway success to go to the big screen, it will not be a 'movie' as such. Rather, the Hamilton film will a recording of the original Broadway cast that was performed in the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Manhattan before they departed.
Why did it take so long to release this recording of the performance, I hear you ask? Honestly, it's been common knowledge that it's been recorded for a long, long time. Manuel-Miranda's said on the record that he wanted as many people as possible to see the performance live in theatre for the full experience, so I think they've waited for the Hamilton hype to start dropping (after a Broadway success, USA tour, Puerto Rico performances and West End) before unveiling a film to reinvigorate the fans. Enough for tickets to still be sold out, but also enough time has passed for popularity to at least slightly dip to re-entice an audience who enjoy cinema.
Finally, all fans will have access to Hamilton! The ticket prices for the productions themselves are incredibly exclusionary, with the lowest price in West End at £75 for the worst seats in the house, going all the way to £200 per ticket. At the height of Hamilton mania, tickets were being sold for $10,000 on resale websites when Lin Manuel-Miranda announced his departure from the titular role. I think we can all agree that the cinema is at least slightly cheaper than this.
Apparently the movie adaptation of the performance was a collection of three performances, two weeks before the original Broadway cast departed from the production. Alongside this, they've used multiple angles so we can all get the best view possible and avoid spending £100 on tickets (Finally, can I see Jonathan Groff's nostrils up close?)
So get ready, in 2021 we'll all be in The Room Where It Happens.
