In The Heights is one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, premiering on June 10. We’re so close to its premiere, but we’re being rewarded for our paciencia y fe. Ahead of its release, Warner Bros unveiled the first eight minutes of the musical. Just like the Broadway production, the movie begins with Usnavi (this time played by Anthony Ramos), introducing us to his Washington Heights neighborhood. For fans of the musical, it’ll be very difficult to not sing along— “In The Heights” is catchy as hell, after all.
This preview is the first glimpse at the new cast portraying the characters, including Stephanie Beatriz as Carla, Leslie Grace as Nina, Jimmy Smits as Nina’s dad Kevin, Dascha Polanco as Cuca, and more. And we also get to see Lin Manuel Miranda make a cameo as the piraguero, interacting with his former character, Usnavi. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise, given how Ramos starred in Hamilton, but Ramos absolutely nails In The Heights’ opening song. But we need to talk about an unexpected reveal in this preview: Usnavi is now telling his story to children on a beach. Did he make it back to the Dominican Republic? We’ll have to watch to find out!
It’s been a long time coming for the musical to get a theatrical release. The In The Heights movie had been in the works long before Hamilton even hit Broadway. The rights were acquired in 2008, three years after the musical’s premiere, and was set to be released in 2011. But with some snags along the way and a studio change, we can’t believe its arrival is so close. This’ll potentially be the first movie many will watch in theaters, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate than singing along with strangers who’ve been waiting to hear these songs again. And if you're still hesitant to go to theaters, you can enjoy it from the comfort of your home a month on July 10 on HBO Max.