Now that we’re on the road to finally getting an In the Heights movie, everyone’s favorite Nuyorican, Lin-Manuel Miranda is moving on to his next project. He’s composed music for film and is set to star as the leading man in Disney’s sequel, Mary Poppins Returns. But Miranda is getting behind the camera for his film directorial debut, helming an adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s Broadway show, Tick, Tick…Boom!
Tick, Tick…Boom! is the story of Jon, a fledgling theater composer stuck working as a waiter in New York City. His girlfriend, Susan is desperate for Jon to make a decision about their future, while Jon’s best friend Michael is prepped to get a great job on Madison Avenue. With Jon’s 30th birthday looming now is the time for him to make a decision.
Larson is best known to theater fans as the creator of the Broadway smash, Rent, the musical about a group of bohemian artists living with HIV in New York in the ’90s. The film is considered a personal work from Larsen, who tragically died the day before Rent premiered, and it holds a special place in Miranda’s heart. When asked for comment about making his directorial debut with Tick, Tick…Boom! the musical impresario discussed playing the role of Jon in an off-Broadway production of the story in 2014. “[It] was one of my most honored achievements.”
Miranda will be collaborating on the production with Steven Levenson, who wrote the book for the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, and the project is being produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment. It’s unclear how quickly the production will take, especially considering how many different projects Miranda has in the pipeline.
We could be entering the year of Miranda if this movie starts filming quick. With In the Heights coming out in 2020 and a Hamilton movie still a pipe dream for fans, Miranda is both getting his projects out into the world while doing the things he enjoys. It’s great that he wants to keep working within the Broadway paradigm in some way because who doesn’t want to see more music from him. This seems right in his wheelhouse and could give people the chance to see him blend serious drama with theatrical sensibilities. And, it might provide another avenue to snatch an Oscar, the last award he needs to become an EGOT.