Hamilton is available now on Disney Plus.
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The movie version of the smash-hit hip-hop musical Hamilton is now available on Disney Plus. You can watch this filmed performance of the Broadway production featuring the original cast from the musical on your phone, TV or desktop. But if you’re not a Disney Plus subscriber, it will cost you. Disney Plus recently discontinued its free trial program that used to let viewers watch selections from the Disney catalog before deciding if they wanted to subscribe.
If it hadn’t changed the rules, the very distinct possibility that millions of viewers could’ve watched the Hamilton Disney Plus presentation on a free trial over the July 4th weekend and then ditched the streaming service would have been bad for business. That means that if you want to see the theatrical release of the Tony award winning original Broadway production, you’ll need to watch it from a paid subscriber account (read on for more details).
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If you’re still on the fence about whether you want to subscribe to Disney Plus for Hamilton alone, you can read CNET’s spoiler-free Hamilton review, or watch the trailer below to help make up your mind. And here’s why a filmed version of Hamilton is so significant.
The award-winning musical is hailed as a creative modern retelling of Alexander Hamilton’s journey to becoming a Founding Father of the US. Created by composer, playwright, performer and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton won 11 Tony awards in 2016 and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.
The Hamilton movie was recorded with the original Broadway cast of 2016, which consists mostly of Black, Latino and Asian American performers, including Miranda himself. Disney Plus’ release is notable in the current climate of political protest against systemic racial injustice and calls to reform everything from entrenched policing laws to the hiring and compensation practices of corporate America.
Aaron Burr and George Washington are among the characters on stage alongside the titular Founding Father. The show includes popular songs such as My Shot, Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) and Wait for It — you can stream the album free on Spotify and you should definitely listen to the soundtrack before you watch Hamilton. Here’s how you can watch the Hamilton film now that it’s available on Disney Plus. And you can watch the trailer below.
Read more: This Hamilton shot is a drink you can quaff while you watch
Can I watch Hamilton online for free?
To watch Hamilton, you’ll need to have one of the Disney Plus subscriptions below. Note that you can cancel anytime.
There are three basic ways to subscribe:
- Month-to-month Disney Plus subscription ($6.99 per month)
- Annual Disney Plus subscription ($70 per year): If you want to prepay for a year of Disney Plus, this option gets your monthly fee down to $5.83.
- Disney Plus/Hulu/ESPN Plus bundle ($12.99 per month): Normally, it costs about $18 to get this triple-shot of Disney-owned online services. But ordering them as a bundle saves you $5 a month.
If you don’t see Hamilton highlighted at the top of Disney Plus, you can search by selecting the magnifying glass icon and typing the movie’s name.
Watch Hamilton from your TV or phone.
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Can I download Hamilton to watch offline?
Disney Plus lets you download all of its shows and movies to watch offline.
What’s the big deal?
The Hamilton movie version was originally scheduled to hit theaters in October 2021, but was moved to an online showing on Disney Plus as a result of theater closures during the coronavirus pandemic.
Since Broadway performances of the show are suspended until further notice due to COVID-19, the only way fans will be able to watch the award-winning musical is on Disney Plus. Tickets to see a live performance of Hamilton, which has often sold out in theaters across the country, have ranged from $149 and up.
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Is Hamilton’s explicit language censored?
Before streaming on Disney Plus became available, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, officially confirmed the movie will censor two uses of the F-word, while one use is still in the show. There are several instances of the s-word and some sexual situations. The Hamilton movie is rated PG-13.
This story updates often.
