Hamilton performance with the original cast coming to Disney+ this July

Here's some news that should leave Hamilton fans satisfied: a filmed version with the original cast is coming, and the wait for it will be far shorter than expected.

Disney announced earlier this year that a performance of Hamilton recorded back in 2016 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre with the original Broadway cast was headed to movie theaters in October 2021. But in a surprise announcement on Tuesday, Disney said it will actually be made available more than a year earlier. Instead of a theatrical release, Disney will now release Hamilton straight to Disney+ this July 3, just in time for the holiday weekend.

Following a bidding war, the worldwide rights to Hamilton cost Disney a whopping $75 million, Deadline reports. This is another instance of Disney redirecting a film that was planned for theaters to Disney+ after doing so with Artemis Fowl, although that was because of theaters closing during the coronavirus pandemic. Disney has also released numerous films on Disney+ months earlier than initially planned during the pandemic, including Frozen II and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

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Disney previously described this Hamilton movie as a "leap forward in the art of 'live capture'" that will combine "the best elements of live theater and film." In an appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday, Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger described Hamilton as "brilliant," adding that "in these times, to tell a story of people uniting together against forces of adversity I think is quite relevant and actually quite important."