Q. I know Hamilton is coming up this week on Disney Plus, but what I want to know is whether it will be in 4K! Also how long will it be? My whole family is very excited to watch it! — Richard, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Richard, as you note, Disney+, the new streaming service from the Mouse company itself, will debut the theatrical version of Hamilton this Friday, July 3. (You can see the movie’s trailer at the end of this article.)
Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also stars in the title role, the cinematic Hamilton was expected to be released in movie theaters in October 2021. However, Disney moved up the premiere date due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
And in case you’re not familiar with Hamilton, which is the most successful play in Broadway history, it tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first secretary of the treasury. What makes Hamilton unique is that the score and style are influenced more by hip-hop than the stately 19th Century.
Disney filmed the play in 2016 at the Richard Rogers Theater on Broadway, which ironically now sits dark due to the pandemic.
But now to your question:
Yes, Hamilton will be available in 4K Dolbyvision. The show will be two hours and 40 minutes and it’s rated PG-13. (Disney removed two uses of the F word with Miranda’s permission.)
What is Dolby Vision, you ask?
Dolby Vision is an industry standard for offering 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range). (Netflix uses it as well for its original programs.) It purports to offer greater color, brightness and contrast than other 4K standards, such as HDR10, although that’s arguable.
But what’s not arguable is that Hamilton should look and sound sensational. And you can watch it in just three days.
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— Phillip Swann
Click below to see the Hamilton trailer: