Hamilton may have turned Lin-Manuel Miranda into a crossover star, but years before the presidential play came around, he was already a big name on Broadway. His first Broadway play In The Heights was huge, actually. It was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Like Hamilton, it incorporated hip-hop into theater in a way that actually wasn’t too cheesy. It tells the story of a group of kids growing up in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood, and years after its initial success, it is being made into a movie, thanks in part to hip-hop mogul Jay Z (via Stereogum).
Jay Z is set to be one of six producers on the movie, as was announced by Harvey Weinstein, of film studio The Weinstein Company, at a pre-Oscars party on Sunday. It’s not clear who else is involved yet, but Jay Z has a short filmography, having produced movies like Chris Rock’s Top Five and the 2014 Annie remake.Back in September, Miranda said the musical was being adapted by playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote the play’s book. The production is set to begin this spring, and while Miranda isn’t slated to reprise his role of Usnavi, he said he’d try to assume another role, whether it’s pre-existing or new for the movie adaptation.
Now, we wait to see how long it’ll take for Hamilton to get its turn at a film version. In the meantime, who would you love to see in the In The Heights movie? Let us know what you think!
Featured image: John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation/Creative Commons
