In the Heights will release in theaters and on HBO Max earlier than once promised. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original musical debuted on Broadway in 2008 and won multiple Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In the film, Miranda himself will have a small part, but has relinquished his formerly held role as the main protagonist, Usnavi, to fellow Hamilton star Anthony Ramos.
In the Heights increased audience anticipation when the studio released two new trailers less than a week ago. The film adaptation about a bodega owner in the heavily Dominican community of Washington Heights, New York City bounced around production companies before settling in with Warner Bros. Originally, the film was slated to premiere last June but was moved back due to the pandemic. It will be directed by Jon M. Chu, who is most known for his work directing Crazy Rich Asians and various installments in the Step Up franchise. The screenplay was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, who is also a producer for the film and wrote the book for the original musical. In addition to Miranda and Ramos, the film will also include plenty of familiar faces including Stephanie Beatriz, Corey Hawkins, Dascha Polanco, and Jimmy Smits.
On Twitter, Chu recently shared a change in the film’s release date, announcing In The Heights would release a week earlier, on June 11 as opposed to its previous date of June 18. He cites the increased excitement from the trailer drop earlier this week as the impetus for the decision. The film, like all other 2021 Warner Bros. films, will release in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously, though it will only be available to stream for a month.
Now that movie theaters in New York and Los Angeles are reopening, theaters and chains are beginning to revive. With that news, In the Heights is sure to be a welcome addition to the showings, especially as avid moviegoers will have just surpassed awards season at the time of its release. At that time, they'll be hungry for an uplifting summer blockbuster.
It is no wonder that the audience excitement for In the Heights pushed up its release date, as it could not be more fitting for the moment society is in now. It is a musical about family, responsibility, love, and community. These are all themes that this pandemic world has been grappling with for a little over a year now. If all things go well, everyone will have something to look forward to with In the Heights.
Source: Jon M. Chu