The original Broadway cast of Hamilton will hit the big screen in 2021, when the filmed presentation of the Tony-, Pulitzer-, and Olivier-winning musical arrives in movie theatres October 15. Disney produces the cinematic release along with creator (and original star) Lin-Manuel Miranda, producer Jeffrey Seller, and director Thomas Kail.
The production was filmed at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre while the original company took the stage. Joining Miranda were Tony winners Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler, and Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, along with Tony nominees Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton, Christopher Jackson as George Washington, and Jonathan Groff as King George. Rounding out the principal company were Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison, and Anthony Ramos (who stars in the upcoming film adaptation of Miranda's In the Heights) as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The Original Cast of Hamilton
Appearing in the ensemble are now-Tony nominees Ariana DeBose (playing Anita in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story) and Ephraim Sykes, plus Carleigh Bettiol, Hope Easterbrook, Sydney James Harcourt, Sasha Hutchings, Thayne Jasperson, Elizabeth Judd, Jon Rua, Austin Smith, and Seth Stewart.
Miranda is already a member of the Disney family, having starred in 2018's Mary Poppins Returns. He is also at work with Alan Menken on new songs for the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. “I fell in love with musical storytelling growing up with the legendary Howard Ashman-Alan Menken Disney collaborations: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin,” he said in a statement. “I’m so proud of what Tommy Kail has been able to capture in this filmed version...a live theatrical experience that feels just as immediate in your local movie theatre. We’re excited to partner with Disney to bring the original Broadway company of Hamilton to the largest audience possible.”
Reports broke in July 2018 of a bidding war erupting between studios over the filmed presentation, with Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox both named as contenders (the latter acquired by Disney in 2019).
Since premiering Off-Broadway at the Public Theater, Hamilton has amassed myriad accolades, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and 11 Tony Awards. The musical has since opened in London's West End, played a sit-down engagement in Chicago, and has launched three national tours (the most recent kicking off in Puerto Rico).
The staging features choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, orchestrations by musical supervisor Alex Lacamoire, sets by David Korins, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley, and sound design by Nevin Steinberg.
