Hamilton movie streams July 3 on Disney Plus. But not with a free trial. Here’s how to watch

The Hamilton movie musical arrives on Disney Plus on July 3, to the delight of mega fans and newbies who are aching to watch the smash Broadway hit. There’s just one problem. Disney Plus has recently shut down its free trial program, which means that if you want to see the show, you’ll need to do it from a paid subscriber account (more details below).

Hamilton 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, the hip-hop musical won 11 Tony awards in 2016 as well as the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.

The Hamilton movie was recorded with the original 2016 Broadway cast, 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. Here’s how you can watch the Hamilton musical when it becomes available on Disney Plus next month. Until then, you can watch the trailer below.

When does Hamilton start?

You can start streaming Hamilton on Disney Plus July 3, appropriately enough for a musical about the American Revolution. The movie was originally scheduled to hit theaters in October 2021 but was moved to an online showing as a result of theater closure during the coronavirus pandemic.

Can I watch Hamilton online for free?

In order to watch Hamilton, you’ll need to have a Disney Plus subscription. Disney Plus has ended its free trials for new subscribers, so if you want to watch, you’ll need to choose one of the subscriptions below. Note that you can cancel at any time.

There are three basic ways to subscribe:

Once the movie becomes available on July 3, we expect it will be among the selections highlighted at the top of Disney Plus. If not, you can search for it by selecting the magnifying glass icon.

Can I download Hamilton to watch offline?

Disney Plus lets you download all of its shows and movies to watch offline. Subscribers should be able to also download Hamilton for offline viewing.

What’s the big deal?

Since Broadway performances of the show are suspended until further notice due to the coronavirus, 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, range from $149 and up.

Will Hamilton’s explicit language be censored?

The Hamilton movie trailer shows a PG-13 viewer rating, which suggests that the musical’s cuss words and sexual content could remain, possibly with a warning before the show begins. Because Disney Plus is billed as a family-friendly streaming service, there had been concern that Hamilton’s language and content could be censored, specifically songs containing the F-word and more romantically vivid scenes.

This story updates often with new information.