In the Heights director Jon M. Chu is very interested in directing a film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's other hit musical, Hamilton. In the Heights brought Miranda much acclaim when it premiered on Broadway in 2008, but it was Hamilton that turned him into a global sensation. Miranda was inspired by Ron Chernow's biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and turned the historical tale into a hip hop musical. Hamilton quickly became one of the most successful musicals of all time, winning 11 Tonys and playing to sold-out crowds around the world.
Last year, with live theater a nonstarter due to the pandemic, Hamilton managed to come to people's households. Disney initially planned to release a filmed version of the show in theaters, but it switched gears amid the pandemic and sent Hamilton to Disney+. The entire original Broadway cast was present for the production, which went on to score Golden Globe nominations this year. Despite the immense success of the filmed production, though, Hamilton has yet to be picked for any kind of traditional movie adaptation in the vein of In the Heights.
However, should that ever change, Chu would like to be at the top of the list for potential directors. During an interview with Jake Hamilton, Chu opened up about his wish to helm a Hamilton movie. The director admitted he hasn't actually confessed this to Miranda, but the cat is out of the bag now. It might help that, in his own interview, Miranda said Hamilton would need someone like Chu. Chu said:
I have never brought this topic up to Lin because I don’t want to put any pressure on him. And of course, Tommy [Kail, Hamilton's original director] is a genius. I assume that it is his to have, or Lin's to have, since he's a director. Of course I would like to do Hamilton, of course I would love to give my take. Of course if he throws that gauntlet down I will meet that gauntlet. I love that show. I love that show so much. But I’ve always had to play it cool around him, so I don’t talk about it enough.
Previously best known for directing movies like Now You See Me 2 and Crazy Rich Asians, Chu is starting to make quite the jump to musical extravaganzas. Aside from next month's In the Heights, Chu recently signed on to make the long-gestating Wicked movie. Should both those films prove to be successes, Chu just might become the ideal candidate for Hamilton. He's already developed a working relationship with Miranda, and his enthusiasm for the source material would give the project an extra layer of emotional weight.
For the time being, though, no true Hamilton adaptation is in the works. Miranda has spoken about the difficulties that would come from turning Hamilton into a proper movie, which largely stem from the way the show is structured. Adapting it into a feature film would certainly be a daunting task, but perhaps Chu has already taken that into consideration. Miranda so far hasn't publicly responded to Chu's Hamilton wishes, so it remains to be seen how he feels about it. Still, Chu has made his interest known, so the ball is in Miranda's court now.
Source: Jake's Takes
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