Hamilton cinema release after Disney buys it for 'record amount'

Hip-hop musical Hamilton is set to be shown in cinemas next year after Disney bought a recording of the stage show for a reported record amount.

Disney picked up the ground-breaking production for $75m (£57.5m) after seeing off competition from other potential suitors thought to include Netflix and Warner Bros, according to Deadline.

And it is believed to be the most expensive acquisition of a film ever made.

Rather than being a brand new movie based on the show, the broadcast is an exclusive recording of the Broadway stage production , performed by the original US cast, filmed across three nights at the Richard Rogers theatre.

Announcing the long-awaited news that the recording will be released, the show's creator Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted: "Disney presents: Hamilton. With The Original Broadway Cast. Filmed onstage at The Richard Rodgers Theatre. In A Theatre Near You. October 15, 2021. #Hamilfilm."

Outgoing Disney chief executive Bob Iger said: "Lin-Manuel Miranda created an unforgettable theatre experience and a true cultural phenomenon, and it was for good reason that Hamilton was hailed as an astonishing work of art.

"All who saw it with the original cast will never forget that singular experience.

"And we're thrilled to have the opportunity to share this same Broadway experience with millions of people around the world."

Disney has also confirmed that once the film has been released in cinemas, it will be placed on to its streaming platform Disney+ .

Created, devised and written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show follows the story of US founding father Alexander Hamilton, from his roots in the Caribbean, through the war of independence, his rise into government, and finally his downfall to a soundtrack inspired by hip-hop and rap.

It also features a cast intentionally made up almost entirely of people of colour, symbolising the way "America looks now", according to Miranda.

Hamilton, which has won 11 Tony awards and seven Olivier awards, has grossed hundreds of millions of dollars globally since its debut off-Broadway in 2015.

The acquisition may come as a relief to theatre fans, with tickets for productions in the US and London regularly costing more than £200 for a premium seat - and often more.

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Productions of the show are currently running on Broadway and in London's West End, as well as several US national tours. There are also plans for new runs in Australia and Germany.

Lin Manuel-Miranda is a man in demand in Hollywood. As well as Hamilton, he is about to release a movie adaptation of his first musical In The Heights.

He has also been collaborating with Disney on films such as Moana, Mary Poppins Returns and the upcoming Little Mermaid reboot.