Jon M. Chu is set to collaborate with Warner Bros. and Lin-Manuel Miranda to direct the movie adaptation of the runaway Broadway hit “In the Heights.”
Set in Washington Heights, New York, the musical follows three friends, Benny, Usnavi and Nina, who dream of someday leaving the Heights but eventually realize their affection for their largely Hispanic American community. The show opened on Broadway in 2008 and won several Tony Awards that year, including Best Musical, Best Choreography and Best Original Score.
Miranda followed the success of “In the Heights” with “Hamilton” in 2015. There is no confirmed cast yet, but Miranda will be producing the adaptation of his musical.
Chu jumped on board the project after Miranda snatched the rights to the “Heights” adaptation away from the Weinstein Company and joined forces with Warner Bros. in April. Chu has directed films such as “Now You See Me 2” and the “Step Up” films. Most recently, he helmed the adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s bestselling novel “Crazy Rich Asians,” due out August 15, which boasts an all-Asian and Asian American cast.
“In the Heights” will hit theaters in June 2020.
