It’s been a pretty good week so far for “Hamilton” creator/star Lin-Manuel Miranda. He landed the co-starring role in Disney‘s upcoming “Mary Poppins Returns,” and now the Broadway show that first put him on the map is (finally) headed to the big screen.
The Weinstein Company have picked up the rights to “In The Heights,” the Tony and Grammy award winning production that was also nominated for a Pulitzer prize. Way, way back, long before Miranda was known for “Hamilton,” Universal had been developing the feature version of “In The Heights,” with Kenny Ortega (“This Is It,” “High School Musical“) slated to direct. But the studio ultimately balked at the $37 million budget, particularly since Miranda, who was slated to star, didn’t quite have the same cachet he does now. Curiously, the Weinsteins are going to try and make it for less than half of Universal’s proposed budget, aiming for a $15 million price tag. It’s not clear if Miranda will star, though he will be involved otherwise.
There’s no word yet on which director might tackle the musical about a bodega owner gearing up to close down his shop, and retire to the Dominican Republic, but given the heat around all things Miranda at the moment, it’ll likely be a sought-after gig. If you have any suggestions, let us know in the comments section. [THR]
Don’t worry Miranda, you did a good job of insulting Americans with your “art”. The chosen ones will be very glad to keep you working as a gesture of thanks.