Hamilton is a 2020 American musical historical drama film consisting of a live stage recording of the Broadway musical, which was inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, 5000 Broadway Productions, RadicalMedia, Nevis Productions, and Old 320 Sycamore Pictures, it was filmed over three performances in 2016, directed by Thomas Kail, who co-produced it with Jeffrey Seller and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda, who wrote the music, lyrics, and book, stars as Treasury Secretary/Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, along with the musical's original Broadway cast, including Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Christopher Jackson, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Anthony Ramos, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriete Onaodowan, and Jonathan Groff.
Originally planned for theatrical release on October 15, 2021, Hamilton was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and was instead released worldwide by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures to stream on Disney+ on July 3, 2020. Acclaimed by critics for its visuals, performances, and direction, it became one of the most-streamed films of 2020. The film was named as one of the best films of 2020 by the American Film Institute, and was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Miranda) at the 78th Golden Globe Awards, while Daveed Diggs was nominated for SAG Award for Outstanding Male Actor in a Limited Series or Television Movie. Hamilton was also nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning 2, including Outstanding Variety Special. The film was theatrically released on September 5, 2025 to celebrate the musical's tenth anniversary.
Synopsis
Cast Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler Christopher Jackson as George Washington Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette / Thomas Jefferson Anthony Ramos as John Laurens / Philip Hamilton Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan / James Madison Jonathan Groff as George III Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler / Maria Reynolds
Sydney James Harcourt as Philip Schuyler / James Reynolds / Doctor / Ensemble Thayne Jasperson as Samuel Seabury / Ensemble Jon Rua as Charles Lee / Ensemble Ephraim Sykes as George Eacker / Ensemble
Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana DeBose, Hope Easterbrook, Sasha Hutchings, Elizabeth Judd, Austin Smith, and Seth Stewart also appear as ensemble members.
Musical numbers
Act I "Alexander Hamilton" – Aaron Burr, John Laurens, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Eliza Schuyler, George Washington, Angelica Schuyler, Maria Reynolds, and Company "Aaron Burr, Sir" – Hamilton, Burr, Laurens, Marquis de Lafayette, Hercules Mulligan, and Company "My Shot" – Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Burr, and Company "The Story of Tonight" – Hamilton, Laurens, Mulligan, Lafayette, and Company "The Schuyler Sisters" – Angelica, Eliza, Peggy Schuyler, Burr, and Company "Farmer Refuted" – Samuel Seabury, Hamilton, Burr, Mulligan, and Company "You'll Be Back" – King George III and Company "Right Hand Man" – Washington, Hamilton, Burr, Mulligan, and Company "A Winter's Ball" – Burr, Hamilton, Laurens, and Company "Helpless" – Eliza, Hamilton and Company "Satisfied" – Angelica, Laurens, Hamilton, and Company "The Story of Tonight (Reprise)" – Laurens, Mulligan, Lafayette, Hamilton, and Burr "Wait for It" – Burr and Company "Stay Alive" – Hamilton, Washington, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Charles Lee, Eliza, Angelica, and Company "Ten Duel Commandments" – Laurens, Hamilton, Lee, Burr, and Company "Meet Me Inside" – Hamilton, Burr, Laurens, Washington, and Company "That Would Be Enough" – Eliza and Hamilton "Guns and Ships" – Burr, Lafayette, Washington, and Company "History Has Its Eyes on You" – Washington, Hamilton, and Company "Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)" – Hamilton, Lafayette, Laurens, Mulligan, Washington, and Company "What Comes Next?" – King George III "Dear Theodosia" – Burr and Hamilton "Tomorrow There'll Be More of Us" – Laurens, Eliza, and Hamilton "Non-Stop" – Burr, Hamilton, Angelica, Eliza, Washington, and Company
Act II "What'd I Miss?" – Jefferson, Burr, Madison, and Company "Cabinet Battle #1" – Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison "Take a Break" – Eliza, Philip Hamilton, Hamilton, and Angelica "Say No to This" – Maria Reynolds, Burr, Hamilton, James Reynolds, and Company "The Room Where It Happens" – Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, and Company "Schuyler Defeated" – Philip, Eliza, Hamilton, and Burr "Cabinet Battle #2" – Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison "Washington on Your Side" – Burr, Jefferson, Madison, and Company "One Last Time" – Washington, Hamilton, and Company "I Know Him" – King George III "The Adams Administration" – Burr, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, and Company "We Know" – Hamilton, Jefferson, Burr, and Madison "Hurricane" – Hamilton, Burr, Washington, Eliza, Angelica, Maria, and Company "The Reynolds Pamphlet" – Jefferson, Madison, Burr, Hamilton, Angelica, James Reynolds, and Company "Burn" – Eliza "Blow Us All Away" – Philip, Martha, Dolly, George Eacker, Hamilton, and Company "Stay Alive (Reprise)" – Hamilton, Philip, Eliza, Doctor, and Company "It's Quiet Uptown" – Angelica, Hamilton, Eliza, and Company "The Election of 1800" – Jefferson, Madison, Burr, Hamilton, and Company "Your Obedient Servant" – Burr, Hamilton, and Company "Best of Wives and Best of Women" – Eliza and Hamilton "The World Was Wide Enough" – Burr, Hamilton, Angelica, Philip, and Company "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" – Eliza, Washington, Angelica, Burr, Jefferson, Madison, Lafayette, Laurens, Mulligan, and Company
End Credits "My Shot (Rise Up Remix)" – The Roots featuring Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz and Nate Ruess "Dear Theodosia" (Instrumental) – Orchestra "Exit Music" – Orchestra
Production Hamilton is edited together from three performances of Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Midtown Manhattan in June 2016 with the original principal Broadway cast members, prior to the departure of Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, and Ariana DeBose from the production, combined with a few "setup shots" recorded without an audience present. These shots included numbers that were captured with the use of a Steadicam, crane and dolly. The footage, shot by RadicalMedia, was originally filmed to be spliced into the 2016 documentary Hamilton's America. The film includes a one-minute intermission; this is extended to ten minutes for the 2025 theatrical release.
The film features the majority of the original Broadway cast, minus ensemble members Betsy Struxness and Emmy Raver-Lampman, who departed in March and April 2016 respectively – their roles are performed by Hope Easterbrook and Elizabeth Judd. Jonathan Groff, who departed the role of King George III in April and was replaced by Rory O'Malley, returned to reprise his role; he also provides, in character, the voice of the pre-show announcer at the beginning, welcoming the audience to the show.
Release Distribution On February 3, 2020, Walt Disney Studios announced that it had acquired the worldwide distribution rights for the film for $75 million. Disney successfully outbid multiple competitors, including Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Fox (which Disney had acquired in March 2019), and Netflix, who had all expressed interest in the film rights. The deal, reportedly one of the most expensive film rights acquisitions, was negotiated between Endeavor Content and Walt Disney Pictures president Sean Bailey and was placed into motion after Disney CEO Bob Iger approached the producers with personal interest in acquiring the film rights. The film is produced by Miranda, Jeffrey Seller, and Kail.
Initial release Hamilton was originally scheduled for an October 15, 2021 theatrical wide release by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, but was later moved up to July 3, 2020, on Disney+, as announced by Disney and Miranda on May 12, 2020 in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the film industry and the performing arts, which shut down the Broadway, West End, and touring productions. This move was also done to get the film released in time for the Fourth of July weekend, on the 244th anniversary of the independence of the United States.
MPA rating and censorship Hamilton received a PG-13 rating by the MPA for "language and some suggestive material". Two instances of the expletive "fuck" were censored to avoid an R rating; a third, partially unfinished one used in "Say No to This" is retained, making it the first film released by Walt Disney Pictures to feature the expletive. A fourth expletive, "motherfucker", used in "The Adams Administration" is also kept in, but is intentionally bleeped for comedic effect as part of the show and its cast album.
Theatrical release On August 6, 2025, Disney announced that the film would finally be released in theaters in the United States and Canada on September 5, 2025 to celebrate the musical's tenth anniversary. This release includes new "Reuniting the Revolution" interviews with the original cast and creators. Further, it was also released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 26, and Australia and New Zealand on November 13.
Home media release A physical media release of the film was originally planned for a 2022 release. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray Disc and Ultra HD Blu-ray on June 16, 2026. The releases included a sing-along version of the film and two featurettes. The Ultra HD Blu-ray release included art cards, sheet music for "Alexander Hamilton", and a fabric poster.
Reception Audience viewership On the weekend of the film's release, the Disney+ app was downloaded 266,084 times, a 72% increase from the past four weeks' total. TV analytics provider, Samba TV reported that 2.7 million U.S. households streamed the film in its first 10 days on Disney+. In August 2020, it was reported that a "staggering" 37.1% of subscribers (about 22 million) had watched the film over its first month (by comparison, the second-largest viewership portion on a platform was Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries with 13.7%). In November, Variety reported the film was the most watched straight-to-streaming title of 2020 up to that point. In December, research firm Screen Engine reported that Hamilton was the second-most watched straight-to-streaming title of 2020 behind HBO Max's Wonder Woman 1984.
2025 box office performance In the United States and Canada, Hamilton was released alongside The Conjuring: Last Rites, and was projected to gross $7–8 million from 1,800 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $3.9 million on its first day (including $850,000 from Thursday previews), and it went on to debut to $10.1 million finishing in second place behind The Conjuring: Last Rites.
During its second weekend in theaters, Hamilton would fall 78%, making $2.2 million and ranking 7th at the domestic box office.
Critical response Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 88 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".