Before Hamilton, there was In The Heights. The latest trailer for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film adaptation of his first musical has made us extra excited for its release later this year.
Last summer, when pandemic fatigue started to kick in, Lin-Manuel Miranda came to the rescue by releasing his hit musical, Hamilton, on Disney+. Finally, fans didn’t need to try get their hands on a pricey ticket to see their favourite stage production in action.
If you were one of the many, many people around the world who found themselves singing along and sobbing while watching it, you’ll be pleased to hear that Miranda is now bringing another one of his genius creations to the screen – In The Heights.
Here’s everything we know about In The Heights so far…
Watch the latest In The Heights trailer
Miranda shared the first teaser trailer in a restaurant in the Washington Heights neighbourhood of New York City back in 2019. Speaking about the musical, he said at the time: “I’m thrilled we’re here, and I’m thrilled we’re uptown. I started writing this show when I was 19 years old, six blocks away, where my parents live.”
A full version has now been released and, as you can see, this is another Miranda musical full of high emotions, searing social observations, powerful performances, and, of course, plenty of rapping and vibrant ensemble dances.
What is In The Heights about?
Miranda wrote the earliest draft of In The Heights when he was in university in 1999. It has since become a Broadway hit and has won a number of Olivier and Tony awards. It follows a story set over the course of three days in the Hispanic-American neighbourhood of New York City’s Washington Heights. The tales are narrated by grocery store owner Usnavi de la Vega, who Miranda played in the original production. Vanessa is Usnavi’s love interest who dreams of leaving the neighbourhood. Other characters whose stories we hear include Nina Rosario, the first in her family to go to college, and Benny who falls in love with Nina.
Through the neighbourhood’s community of characters, it examines relationships, family, social issues and identity.
Who stars in In The Heights?
The film is directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) and written by playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes.
It stars singer Leslie Grace, Dascha Polanco (Orange Is The New Black), and Anthony Ramos (A Star Is Born, Hamilton), who have all shared first glimpses of the film on their Twitter accounts. Corey Hawkins, Melissa Barrera, Jimmy Smits and Daphne Rubin-Vega are also in the cast.
Speaking about the cast at the Washington Heights restaurant event, Miranda also said: “I can’t wait for the world to fall in love with them.”
When is In The Heights released?
In the Heights was scheduled for release on 7 August 2020 in the UK, but was put on hold because of the pandemic. Warner Bros has now said it is due for release in cinemas and will stream exclusively on HBO Max from 18 June.
Image: Warner Bros
Source: Read Full Article