A movie version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s acclaimed Broadway musical Hamilton is coming to Disney Plus on July 3, and it’s expected to be one of the network’s biggest exclusives to date. Disney paid a reported $75 million to acquire the movie, which is a taping of multiple performances in 2016, and the company originally planned to release it in theatres in October 2021. Disney then moved forward the release date by 15 months due to the COVID-19 crisis, and announce a Disney Plus release.
Reviews for the movie have started to show up online ahead of its debut–and they are very strong. You can check out a sampling of opinions from reviewers below, while you can also see GameSpot’s list of 8 things to look out for when the movie arrives.
Hamilton on Disney Plus is directed by Thomas Kail, who directed Hamilton on Broadway, in addition to Miranda’s In the Heights. The Disney Plus version of Hamilton won’t be the exact way it was on Broadway, as a few F-bombs were edited out to make it more family friendly.
Hamilton
- Directed By: Thomas Kail
- Written By: Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Starring: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Phillipa Soo, Jonathan Groff, Chris Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Leslie Odom Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos.
- Release Date: July 3
The New York Times
“It’s also heartbreaking. One lesson that the past few years should have taught–or reconfirmed–is that there aren’t any good old days. We can’t go back to 1789 or 2016 or any other year to escape from the failures that plague us now. This four-year-old performance of Hamilton, viewed without nostalgia, feels more vital, more challenging then ever.” — A.O. Scott [Full review]
Variety
“A modern take on our collective, complicated history, Hamilton finds fresh relevance in the Black Lives Matter protests and this divided political moment. It’s that rare work of art that celebrates diversity while urging us to put aside superficial differences, using Hamilton’s tragic outcome as a kind of warning, and his accomplishments as inspiration. Best of all, it leaves room for some future adaptation of Miranda’s brilliant musical to break free of the stage and find new, big-screen expression down the road–at which point it may resonate in entirely different ways.” — Peter Debruge [Full review]
IGN
“A lot of fantastic stage productions can fall flat or feel staid when taped, a pitfall that Hamilton avoids. However, the cinematography, editing, and the direction that urged the performers to ignore the at-home audience keeps it from feeling cinematic. In short, Hamilton the stage musical may be a 10/10. But this filmed version falls short by repeatedly reminding the audience of what we missed by not being there.” — Kristy Puchko [Full review]
The Guardian
“It has political intrigue, personal tragedy, a sex scandal, and lightning changes of mood that sweep us along at speed. Best of all is the wit that sits neatly alongside its politics: ‘Immigrants, we get the job done,’ says one character archly, and the audience laughs knowingly. ‘What is a legacy?’ says Hamilton, in the heart-stopping last moments, and the film leaves us reflecting on America’s.” — Arifa Akbar [Full review]
Empire
“Entertaining, energetic and unfailingly smart, this is theatre at the highest level, performed by a cast without a weak link. You can’t say no to this.” — Helen O’Hara [Full review]
IndieWire
“This is Hamilton as you always wanted to see it, and it always will be. And with Disney+ releasing it just in time for the Fourth of July, it doubles as a perfect reminder that America is only worth celebrating because of what it aspires to be–the version of it we see in our minds’ eye, and not the one that’s petrified on the pages of our history books..” — David Ehrlich [Full review]