Check one two three, … Benny’s on the dispatch and on the big screen!
This summer’s anticipated blockbuster adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights inches closer, and we cannot wait to see Miranda’s musical genius on the silver screen. It seems the powers-that-be over at Warner Bros. just couldn’t wait that long either, as earlier today they dropped an official trailer for the movie musical. Seriously, just breathe and watch Anthony Ramos (Hamilton, A Star is Born) bring the charismatic bodega owner Usnavi to life, along with the rest of the Heights crew, in the musical flick.
The trailer begins with Ramos’ Usnavi (newsboy cap and all) on an island speaking to a group of young, adorable children about the vibrant culture in the Heights. Presumably, this indicates that the present-day timeline in the film will pick up at the end of the musical (*spoiler*) when Usnavi leaves the states for his home country of Dominican Republic, and the bulk of the story could be in flashbacks looking back at his time on the block with his friends and family.
We hear snippets of the Tony-winning soundtrack in the background, including the ensemble singing the title track “In the Heights,” and I can’t help but sing along already. The trailer goes full-out with intricate choreography, and the whole crew is there. Benny (Corey Hawkins), Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), Nina (Leslie Grace) and her folks, Daniela (Daphne Rubin-Vega), Carla (Stephanie Beatriz), and even the precious Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz) join Ramos uptown. In a voiceover, one character says, “This is going to be an emotional rollercoaster” over heart-wrenching scenes of characters embracing and crying, candlelight marches, and signs proclaiming their love for Abuela. Seriously, my emotions are not ready.
But all in all, it’s an inspiring and uplifting tale, and it’s clear this movie aims to demonstrate just that with director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) at the helm alongside Miranda and co-creator Quiara Alegría Hudes.
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Photo: Macall Polay/ Warner Bros. Entertainment
