‘Hamilton’ on Disney+: 12 things to know before watching

"Hamilton" film announcement. (Hamilton via Twitter)

Let’s have another round tonight… Well, more like tomorrow morning, depending on your bedtime and the level of fandom you have for Hamilton.

That’s right, a filmed version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash-hit Broadway musical Hamilton hits Disney+ on Friday morning, just in time for the holiday weekend.

Here’s 12 things you need to know about the award-winning show that you’ll soon be able to watch from the comfort of your couch.

When will Hamilton be releason on Disney+?

The movie will premiere on Friday, July 3, at 3:00 a.m. ET (12:00 a.m. PT) on Disney+.

It was initially scheduled to hit movie theaters in Oct. 2021, but with theaters shut down due to COVID-19, the film was fast-tracked to the new streaming platform much to the delight of theatre lovers around the world.

How long will Hamilton be on Disney+?

The short answer: indefinitely, but don’t wait to watch.

The long answer: It is expected to be on Disney+ for a long time, with Miranda tweeting, “You will just have it. For as many times as you like, right next to A Goofy Movie and Talespin and An Extremely Goofy Movie…”

Although it’s not an exact answer, you can expect to be able to play Hamilton on repeat long after the holiday weekend.

Is there a way to watch it for free?

No, you’ll need a Disney+ subscription to be able to watch the show. Disney recently ended its free 7-day trial offer for new subscribers to keep fans from “dining and dashing” on the service.

There are three basic ways to subscribe for Disney+:

Monthly subscription for $6.99/month
Annual subscription for $69.99/year (About $5.83 a month)
Bundle Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu for $12.99/month

You can cancel your subscription at any time, so you can subscribe for just one month to watch Hamilton and then cancel. But definitely explore what Disney+ has to offer. What the streaming service lacks in quantity, as compared to Netflix, it makes up for with quality content.

Is Hamilton appropriate for kids?

In most cases, yes. It is history after all!

The filmed version was given a PG-13 rating because of gun violence and adult themes. But funn enough, the show almost received an R-rating! Miranda recently explained that, language-wise, they had to censor out two of the show’s three “f-words” in order to avoid the undesirable category.

Whether or not you feel Hamilton is appropriate for your kids is up to you. If you’re not familiar with the show, we recommend parents watching the show themselves before gathering the family for a viewing.

How long is Hamilton?

161 minutes with a one-minute intermission, but don’t worry, you can always hit pause if you need longer!

What is Hamilton about?

For those who don’t know the soundtrack by heart or follow Miranda obsessively, the hip-hop musical charts the remarkable life story of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s Founding Fathers.

The show is based off a best-selling biography of Hamilton by Ron Chernow, which Miranda happened to read on a whim during a vacation in 2007.

Miranda initially planned for the project to just be a hip-hop “concept album” before it transformed into a full-fledged musical, debuting off-Broadway in January 2015. It is now the most successful Broadway musical of the modern era.

Who’s in this? When did they film it? Is it a stage show or a movie?

The movie features the original Broadway cast of Hamilton, including Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Leslie Odom Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, Phillipa Soo, and more.

This is a stage show that was filmed in the summer of 2016 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. (Mostly for documentary purposes and then hidden away for potential future use.)Thomas Kail, who won a Tony for directing Hamilton the musical, also directed the filmed version. The final product uses footage from two Hamilton performances, as well as close-ups of the actors that were shot over the course of two days off.

“It was basically a three-day film shoot with the best rehearsed cast in the history of the movies. Because we’d all been doing the show for a year at this point,” Miranda said recently.

There are also plans for a movie, but that is likely years away and will be a very different product.

Will I get the same experience as someone watching the production in-person on Broadway?

Probably not, but that will depend on what kind of set up you have at home.

To make the experience as authentic as possible, this version will include the pre-show announcement, bows, and post-show applause.

The good news? No interrupting cellphones, sprinting to the bathroom, or outrageous concession prices.

Will I own Hamilton once I purchase a Disney+ subscription?

No. Assuming you maintain your subscription, you’ll be able to watch as many times as you like for as long as it is available on the platform. Precisely how long that is remains to be seen, but it might disappear once the live show is back on Broadway.

If I was hoping to see Hamilton in-person, will this undermine the experience?

That’s a loaded question, but it will likely depend on your familiarity with the show up until this point.

Whether you know the soundtrack by heart or know practically nothing about the show, you never get the authentic experience of watching a performance for the first time back. If you have your heart set on seeing it in-person and don’t want it “ruined,” you can be one of the patient few who waits… But who knows, maybe watching will increase demand for the live show. Either way, when Broadway turns its lights back on, tickets to Hamilton will almost certainly be more affordable… But still a whole lot more than $6.99.

Hamilton trailer and previews

Disney has released a number of clips from the movie to build anticipation ahead of Hamilton‘s Disney+ premiere. Here’s a look at some of those.

‘Hamilton’ on Disney+: 12 things to know before watching