Musicals are making a big comeback in entertainment at the moments and one of those people responsible for its resurgence is Lin-Manuel Miranda whose plays In The Heights and Hamilton have proved both popular with theatres audiences and done extremely well in on-screen adaptation too. He also starred and wrote some music for Disney’s successful Mary Poppins Returns as well and his style of upbeat music and introspective storytelling is a formula that many musical adaptations and films are looking to adapt to resonate with audiences.
And now Lin-Manuel Miranda is stepping behind the camera for his next project and making his directorial debut for Netflix’s Tick, Tick…Boom! This film is an adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical stage show and tells how the man behind the award-winning musical Rent struggled through waiting tables In New York City to find the inspiration to make the next great musical. It’s a story with a lot of heart and emotion, that also relies on big, energetic musical numbers – which makes Miranda perfect in adapting this project for cinema screens and as we can see from this first trailer for the film, he looks perfectly at home behind the camera setting up some epic scenes while having star Andrew Garfield showcase a surprise singing voice and strong performance:
I’ve never been a big fan of most film musicals, but I do love Broadway productions and so love the current revival which is bringing the energy of a stage production to the screen – more akin to the musical hey-days of the 50s ad 60s Hollywood films – and with these films trying to do far more than just put on big musical umbers but tell a powerful story too, they are certainly offering a lot more to entertain. And the use of the tick effect in this film will either fill this musical with a remarkable sense of urgency or drive you completely nuts. Let us hope the final film makes a more muted use of that ticking and doesn’t make it a core feature – though I do like the sense of fear that it brings.
Outside of Garfield, Miranda is also bringing several other big names from both the stage and screen, including Robin de Jesús, Joshua Henry, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexandra Shipp, MJ Rodriguez, Bradley Whitford, Tariq Trotter and Judith Light. Tick, Tick…Boom! is coming out later this year, though does not have a set release date from Netflix.
Last Updated: June 14, 2021
Original Heretic
June 14, 2021 at 09:40
Craig, don’t ever be surprised when a film actor has a strong singing voice.
Guaranteed, most of them did musicals on their way up. You don’t get them big parts unless you’re a triple threat (acting, singing AND dancing).