8 'Hamilton' Fun Facts To Celebrate The Disney+ Premiere

“Hamilton” is coming to Disney+, but there’s far more to the story behind the Alexander Hamilton musical than what’s on screen. Check out some fun facts about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway show and movie (AKA the #Hamilfilm) before it starts streaming:

1. It was kept in a vault before Disney bought it. When Hamilton was filmed on Broadway, there wasn’t necessarily a grand plan. The creative team knew that they weren’t going to release it right away, so it went onto an “encrypted hard drive in a Midtown Manhattan vault,” the New York Times reports.

2. The movie is actually multiple performances. The “Hamilton” film captures a Sunday matinee and a Tuesday evening performance. However, on Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday morning, there were also 13 songs that were recorded with no audience so close-ups, Steadicam shots and crane shots could be utilized.

3. Miranda calls it “an independent film.” Disney did not buy the rights to the “Hamilton” film before it was filmed, so it was filmed largely without interference from a big company. “I’m really glad we had the luxury to basically shoot an independent film in our first year, and now the world can see what it felt like to be in that room,” he said on “Good Morning America.”

4. Jonathan Groff was already done playing King George III on Broadway. The “Frozen” star had wrapped up his run as the British king in April 2016, but he returned a few months later just for the filmed performances.

5. Two words are censored. Fans know that there are three F-bombs in the show, but the MPAA has strict rules on that for PG-13 movies. Though it isn’t going to the big screen, Miranda had to cut two in order to have the film on Disney+ (which is marketed as a family-friendly content platform).

6. “Hamilton” was supposed to hit theaters. It was set to come out in fall 2021, but the pandemic made the team realize that Independence Day weekend might be a better time.

7. “Hamilton” received more Tony Award nominations than any other show ever. Sixteen nominations is more than any other musical has received (“The Producers” and “Billy Elliot” both had 15), but just how many Tonys did “Hamilton” win? Eleven, including best musical, book, choreography, direction and three of the four best actor statues. Additionally, it has a Grammy, a Pulitzer Prize and seven Olivier Awards.

8. The “Hamilton” actors are sharing the profits. Typically, Broadway actors don’t see any residuals after they leave a show. However, the “Hamilton” cast struck an unusual deal wherein the original cast members still receive a percentage of the profits (it’s believed to be a relatively small cut, but numbers were never disclosed).

“Hamilton” starts streaming on Disney+ on Friday.