The big day is FINALLY here for “Hamilton” fans — #Hamilfans — along with anyone who has longed to see the Broadway hit but hasn’t been able to catch the show.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton,” which features non-white actors playing the Founding Fathers and other major characters, won 11 Tonys, including best musical, as well as a Grammy and a Pulitzer Prize.
The musical charts the rise and fall of Alexander Hamilton, who served as George Washington’s aide during the Revolutionary War, and was the first Secretary of Treasury.
He is also credited with founding our nations economic system.
The musical was written based on a best-selling biography of Hamilton by Ron Chernow.
Miranda happened to read the book on a whim during a vacation in 2007, and was inspired by the biography.
The movie features the original Broadway cast of “Hamilton” including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Leslie Odom Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, Phillipa Soo and many others.
It was filmed in the summer of 2016 at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway.
Thomas Kail, who won a Tony for directing “Hamilton” the musical, also directed this filmed version.
The end result uses footage from two “Hamilton” performances, along with close-ups of the actors that were shot over the course of two days off.
“It was basically a three-day film shoot with the best rehearsed cast in the history of the movies. Because we’d all been doing the show for a year at this point,” Miranda said recently. “I’m so proud of how beautifully Tommy Kail has brought ‘Hamilton’ to the screen.”
Miranda added: “He’s given everyone who watches this film the best seat in the house. I’m so grateful to Disney and Disney Plus for reimagining and moving up our release to July 4th weekend of this year, in light of the world turning upside down. I’m so grateful to all the fans who asked for this, and I’m so glad that we’re able to make it happen. I’m so proud of this show. I can’t wait for you to see it.”
WATCH: Hamilton Preview Trailer:
“Hamilton” was originally supposed to come to movie theaters, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused Disney to change its plans.
Unlike a string of movies whose premiere dates have been pushed back by as much as a year, “Hamilton” has been fast-tracked.
Disney announced in May that it would bring the film version of the Broadway show to Disney Plus starting today.
The streaming debut means the film arrives 16 months ahead of schedule. (In February, Miranda announced the production would debut in theaters Oct. 15, 2021.)
WATCH: Hamilton Official Clip:
In a statement, Robert Iger, Disney’s executive chairman, said that no other work of art in the last decade has had the impact that “Hamilton” has.
“In light of the extraordinary challenges facing our world, this story about leadership, tenacity, hope, love and the power of people to unite against the forces of adversity is both relevant and impactful,” Iger said. “We are thrilled to bring this phenomenon to Disney Plus on the eve of Independence Day, 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.”
Here’s the full list of main cast members for the film version of “Hamilton”:
Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first secretary of the treasury (who died in a New Jersey duel).
Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson
Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler
Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr
Christopher Jackson as George Washington
Jonathan Groff as King George
Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton
Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds
Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison
Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton
You Can See Hamilton Now!
“Hamilton” premiered early this morning on Disney Plus.
There will be a watch party tonight on Twitter where cast members will be tweeting along.
The party starts at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
You can follow along at the hashtag #Hamilfilm.
As for how long “Hamilton” will be on Disney Plus?
So far there’s no end date for the film, so feel free to watch it on repeat to your heart’s content, or save it for another day.
Unfortunately, there is no way to stream it for free.
Disney Plus is $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year alone, and $12.99 a month in combination with Hulu and ESPN Plus.