Which version of 'Hamilton' are we going to get on Disney+?
Chris Peterson
Earlier this week, the joyous news was announced that Hamilton would be released on Disney+ on July 3rd. The taped performance of the Tony-winning musical was scheduled to be released in movie theaters this fall, but due to the COVID-19 shutdowns and the fact that Disney paid $75 million for the rights, it’s no surprise they would bump it up earlier. Either way, it’s obvious what many of us will be doing over the July 4th weekend.
But with the news came some questions as to how Disney was going to put the show on their family-friendly streaming network. Hamilton is no Avenue Q or The Book of Mormon, but it does contain some explicit language, gun violence, and sexual situations. I don’t think any of it is over-the-top nor would it qualify the show to be “R rated” but for families thinking that they could sit and watch the show with their entire family of young children, “Say No to This” might make for an awkward moment.
This has led to many fans being concerned that Disney is going to censor these moments. After all, they did digitally edit movies like Splash and even cut parts from Aladdin, The Rescuers, and Lilo & Stitch to eliminate elements that would seem inappropriate for 2020 audiences.
With their film Adventures in Babysitting, Disney cut two expletives and replaces them with the type of f-words you’d find on TV airings like “fudge”. If anything, this is where I think Disney would edit Hamilton. But it would make no sense to cut songs like “Say No to This” because it’s integral to the plot.
So if you’re worried you’re going to get some censored version of Hamilton, I wouldn’t be too worried about it. I’d like to think that Lin-Manuel Miranda would never allow his piece to be altered in any way then again $75 million to clean up some expletives might be fine for many of us if we were the recipient of that deal.
But at the end of the day, parents should know what they will be watching and if they feel it’s appropriate for their children to view it. There will likely be a disclaimer on the selection screen, so if parents choose to watch it, they’ve been warned.
Either way, we’ll find out on July 3rd, I know I’ll be watching it. Just not with my 6-year-old son sitting next to me.