The universally acclaimed musical Hamilton has dominated the internet ever since debuting on Disney+ earlier this month, but what does this huge success mean for the future of Broadway on film?
Of course, the show is a beast of a production, regardless of the medium. So, it’s not that surprising to see Lin-Manuel Miranda’s overwhelmingly successful and high-grossing musical manage to get the same sort of traction among folks on the internet. In fact, when it comes to Hamilton, the last couple of weeks haven’t been short on controversy. After its release on the Mouse House’s streaming service, a lot of people have called out the story for its depiction of slavery, many going so far as to attempt to ‘cancel’ it.
And it’s not just a minority, since some of the stars have even had to go out of their way to address these criticisms. But what does all of this buzz indicate? Well, according to Christopher Jackson, our favorite George Washington on screen, there’s one way that Hamilton and similar musicals can grow on film and even end up replicating the success of the MCU.
The actor recently discussed how he hopes Hamilton affects the entertainment world, saying:
“As with all things in this industry, there’s an ebb and flow there, things can sort of run in seasons and I think we can go back and forth between the audience dictating what needs to be made, and the filmmaker saying: ‘You know what? This is a great idea. Let’s run with it.'”
Jackson also compared the matter to the MCU, explaining how the genre can grow with the same formula in mind.
“I’ve never been a great comic book fan, but I’ve seen all the Marvel movies because they’re entertaining,” he added. “At the end of the day, that’s what we’re there for. I hope that there continues to be a platform for the movie musical and I hope that the genre itself can continue to grow.”
Well, the General has got one thing right, Hamilton is indeed entertaining, even if you’re well past your tenth watch. The new accessibility of Miranda’s musical on Disney+ is a bold step and who knows? Maybe we partially owe it to the current coronavirus pandemic. But whatever it is, we know for certain that we’d definitely be excited to see similar projects take shape in the future.
