Disney Plus to release Hamilton special Friday, interviewing cast, director

Disney Plus will release a Hamilton special Friday that interviews the musical’s cast and director, as well as a Harvard professor to discuss the show’s historical context, coming a week after Disney’s filmed version of the Broadway hit stoked a surge of interest in Disney Plus. 

The special, Hamilton: History Has Its Eyes on You, features Good Morning America host Robin Roberts conducting remote interviews with creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, director Thomas Kail and cast members including Christopher Jackson, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Daveed Diggs. Harvard professor and historian Annette Gordon-Reed also discusses the historical context of the show. 

“It was an immense pleasure speaking with this talented group,” said Roberts. “After you listen to their insights and perspectives it will heighten your viewing of Hamilton. Such an engaging, enlightening conversation.”

After Disney Plus released Hamilton last Friday, mobile-app downloads jumped 72% in the US over that weekend compared with the average number of downloads during the four preceding weekends in June, app analytics company Apptopia said.

Hamilton’s early streaming release was the latest twist to Disney Plus during the coronavirus pandemic. With COVID-19 shuttering cinemas and forcing families to entertain themselves almost completely at home, Disney has been tweaking Disney Plus’ role to bring people a string of surprise releases at home, as the service takes on bigger and earlier involvement in the release of Disney’s big-screen films. 

Hamilton has been the most highly anticipated, brand-new title to hit Disney Plus in the months of coronavirus shutdowns. Hamilton was meant to be released in theaters in October next year. Instead, Disney made it available to stream with a $7 monthly subscription early Friday morning.