Warner Bros. Pictures(NEW YORK) — Before he shot to superstardom with Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda won a Tony Award for his musical In the Heights. Warner Bros. just debuted a pair of trailers for the film version, which was directed by Jon M. Chu. 

Like the Broadway production, the musical is a celebration of the American dream, viewed from a Latino perspective. The story centers on a Washington Heights, New York bodega owner who dreams of returning to his family’s native Dominican Republic. 

The film’s opening had been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was announced earlier this year that it would be part of Warner Bros. same-day theatrical/HBO Max release slate. For his part, Miranda told ABC Audio he’d love people to see it on the big screen, but, as he demonstrated with the Disney+ release of a staged version of Hamilton, it’s a win for him just for it to be seen.

“Well, listen, my goal is for as many people to see In the Heights as possible,” Lin-Manuel explains. “We were able to move Hamilton up a year and a half [to Disney+] because we we pushed In the Heights a year later. And our hope is still that as many people — it’s a big-screen movie, and our hope is still as many people, see it on the big screen as possible — and that we are in a position to do so safely, above all.”  

Miranda just may get his wish, as theaters in his native New York City recently re-opened. 

In the Heights‘ cast includes Hamilton‘s Anthony Ramos, Brooklyn Nine-Nine vet Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco from Orange Is the New Black, and Jimmy Smits.

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By Stephen Iervolino
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