“The Book of Mormon” isn’t done yet.
When the popular Broadway musical closed earlier this month after seven years, it served as a much-needed cue for “In the Heights,” the hit 2008 off-Broadway musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who since then has created the blockbuster “Hamilton” as well as the smash Internet sensation “Moana.”
Last month, Miranda published the full script of “Encanto,” a film based on “In the Heights,” calling it “the most exciting thing ever” (he later added that there would be a “minority cast and Latinos on all levels.”) Mirandas are already set to sing — and probably kill — roles in the movie version.
Because it was Broadway-bound, a film set in a working-class neighborhood that transcends customs could easily be turned into a generic Hollywood movie, not to mention hot gossip fodder.
Alas, “Encanto” has not been picked up yet by a studio — though no one should hold their breath for it to receive a green light. The plan is still to raise money through Indiegogo, hoping to raise as much as $75,000 in 60 days to greenlight the film. However, Miranda was willing to take a peek at the script during a Thursday night performance at the Kennedy Center.
“It was really fun to read the script and see how it used musical sequences,” he said. “It’s really wonderful.”
Miranda, who is also putting the finishing touches on a play he wrote about Puerto Rico and baseball for the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, said he wanted to find a few people before the musical’s national tour begins in September to take the stage for the film. Miranda said a local production could be even more impactful than a Hollywood production.
“It’s harder to make a film in a multi-million dollar budget, and if you try to become a movie star,” he said. “Our most successful shows are the ones that are very specific, not with any type of financial or production goals, but they are stories that you can touch and that matter to people.”
The musical follows Usnavi, a city nightclub owner who is sought out by the local cops and finds himself in a fight for his life to retain his livelihood. Unlike most shows, “In the Heights” is not based on a source material, instead finding a home in Latin America.
“Encanto” has included a Spanish-language version of the script; in addition to that, most of the music will be sung in English, with the exception of the songs that explain the plots of two of the individual songs.
Miranda said he liked the idea of doing something different for “Encanto,” and he was glad to let people read the script to get a better sense of his vision.
“I wanted to let the community be the silent partner and to give people to be a part of the process,” he said. “The film is not going to have what you might hear at a movie theater.”
“Encanto” will shoot early this summer in New York, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
There’s no evidence yet on whether the cast of “In the Heights” will be recreated for the film, but Miranda said he didn’t expect that to be the case.
“We had a blast singing and dancing for five and a half years,” he said. “There’s no such thing as the cast or the original actors returning.”
However, if Miranda does reunite with the cast for an encore tour, they’ll have a few years to do so before the production makes its premiere. After the Washington performances, Miranda will travel to Nashville, Tenn., for a “Hamilton” performance on May 30 and will wrap up the summer season in Miami. A new “Hamilton” show opens in London in September, followed by an additional run in the spring of 2017.