The Gods of musical theatre and home entertainment have conspired to bring us a true cinematic delight. Because from today (3rd July), the filmed version of smash-hit musical Hamilton will be available to stream online on Disney Plus.
Anyone who queued at a TKTS booth in London's Leicester Square or New York's Time Square, or entered the ticket lottery, or lost several hours trying desperately to book online, will know that since 2015 Hamilton has been the hottest theatre ticket in town. When Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical – his second, after the similarly brilliant In the Heights – premiered at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 2017, to bag a place in the audience brought with it supreme bragging rights and the envy of your peers.
And now, the long-awaited film version is here, with creator Miranda in the title role as Alexander Hamilton. The movie was originally scheduled to hit cinemas in October 2021, but it has now been made available online as a result of theatre closures during lockdown and continued coronavirus restrictions.
So, without further ado, how can you watch it? Please allow us to reveal all...
How can I watch Hamilton online?
Short answer: Hamilton is exclusively available on Disney's video streaming service right now! So essentially, you need to be a subscriber to Disney+.
The bad news: Disney no longer offers a free 7-day trial, so you'll have to sign up for a Disney+ account if you haven't already.
The good news: Disney+ is great value and only costs £5.99/$6.99/AU$8.99 per month on a rolling monthly basis, or £59.99/$69.99/AU$89.99 per year. Paying one lump sum for the year nets a saving of just over 15 per cent compared to paying month by month.
Disney Plus is one of the newest streaming kids in town, having launched in November 2019. Though the service is a relative babe in arms, it brings with it a huge back catalogue of Disney animated classics, as well as the iconic Star Wars and Marvel properties that Disney owns. And let's not forget the juggernaut that is Frozen II, which has already grossed $1.5 billion, making it the second highest-grossing animated film of all time.
How can I get Disney Plus?
Very easily. The Disney+ app is available on a range of TVs, phones and streaming devices, including iPhones, iPads, the iPod Touch and Apple TV, Android phones, Android TVs, Chromecast devices, Xbox One, PlayStation4, Roku streaming players, Now TV's Smart Stick (take note here: Disney+ isn't available on any Now TV daily or weekly TV pass) and Roku TVs.
Disney+ can also be found on the Sky Q platform.
Can I watch Hamilton in 4K, HDR and Dolby Atmos?
Why yes, yes you can. Providing you have a TV or home cinema set-up that is compatible with 4K, Dolby Vision HDR (or HDR10) and Dolby Atmos, you'll be able to watch Hamilton in the very best possible way.
Disney+ titles are displayed and play in the maximum quality available through your hardware, so if, for example, your TV supports all three technologies you'll see the logos for each within the title's description on the Disney+ interface.
Note, however, that those watching Hamilton on the Disney+ app on Sky Q won't be able to watch in 4K or HDR... yet, anyway. The Sky platform isn't due to green-light them for third-party apps until later this year.
What other Disney+ shows and films can I watch?
Signed up to Disney+ but don't know where in the Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic catalogue to start? Or maybe you're simply wondering what content is available in 4K, HDR10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. You're in luck: we have the answers.
We've done the hard work to recommend the best movies and TV shows to watch on Disney Plus, from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to Avengers: Endgame, The Mandalorian to The Simpsons, and of course our pick of the classic Disney movies. So, please, be our guest: our 11 of the best Disney Plus shows and movies to watch right now is the place.
But of course, the star here is Hamilton. In this respect, as in so many, Disney+ is out on its own, because you simply won't be able to stream it anywhere else.
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