As Disney surveys the damage done to its release schedule by the global coronavirus pandemic, Bob Iger has seemingly gone into its emergency vault and found one thing that it actually can put out early: Today, the studio announced that it will stream its taped version of the original Broadway cast of Hamilton on July 3 of this year, a full 15 months before its previously planned October 2021 release. The film covers the original Broadway production of the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning megahit, and was shot in June 2016 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre by director Tommy Kail. With Broadway and touring productions shut down, the only room where it will be happening — and for much cheaper than the average Hamilton theatrical ticket price — will be wherever you can stream Disney+. “We are thrilled to bring this phenomenon to Disney+ on the eve of Independence Day,†Iger, Disney’s executive chairman (and former CEO), said in a statement. “And we have the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda and the team behind Hamilton to thank for allowing us to do so more than a year before planned.†The tape combines “elements of live theater, film, and streaming,†according to Disney’s release, though we’re still interested in seeing how it modifies the more explicit aspects of the show for Disney+’s more family-friendly tone.
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