‘Hamilton’ Performance Reportedly Sparks Studio Movie Rights Bidding War

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Hollywood studios are bidding for the movie rights to a recorded version of a live performance of the smash hit musical “Hamilton,” with the price as much as $50 million, according to a report.

The Wall Street Journal, citing two unnamed people with knowledge of the deal talks, said Tuesday that the sellers are asking that the recording not play in theaters or stream until 2020 or 2021. The recording at the center of the bidding war was made in 2016, shortly before departed from the cast.

The play was inspired by Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography “Alexander ” with Miranda writing the music, lyrics, and book. Miranda mixed hip hop, R&B, pop, soul, and show tunes to create a blockbuster production that debuted on Broadway in 2015 and received a record-setting 16 Tony nominations, winning 11 along with the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Miranda has become a significant presence in Hollywood since then. He was the composer of the score for “Moana” and received an Oscar nomination for the song “How Far I’ll Go.” He also stars opposite Emily Blunt in the upcoming “Mary Poppins Returns.”

Warner Bros. has set a June 26, 2020 release date for Miranda’s musical “In the Heights,” which won the 2008 Tony Award for best musical.  Miranda wrote the music and lyrics for the production and starred in the show’s lead role, earning a Tony nomination for best actor in a musical. The movie project has “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon Chu attached, along with the musical’s book writer and screenwriter Quiara Alegría Hudes.

Miranda also announced on July 19 that he would be making his feature directorial debut on a movie version of the play “Tick, Tick…Boom!”

Reps for “Hamilton” and Miranda did not reply to requests for comment.