Yes, Disney+ Censored ‘Hamilton,’ But The Musical’s Stars Don’t Think It Affects Anything
Summer 2020 heated up on Friday, July 3 when Hamilton hit Disney+. Fans of the beloved Broadway show couldn't wait to watch the film version of the Tony Award-winning musical, but of course, the movie came with some small changes to make it appropriate for the family-friendly streaming service. The Hamilton movie on Disney+ is censored, but stars of the show don't think it takes away anything from the show's effect.
The film adaptation of Hamilton was originally slated to be released in theaters in October 2021, but instead debuted over a year early on Disney+ on July 3 to accommodate the millions of people quarantined in their homes due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Because of its home on Disney+, the musical removed curse words from the show to give it a PG-13 rating to meet the expectations of the Motion Picture Association.
The small change had some fans upset and worried it would diminish the whole dynamic of the show, but Hamilton creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped in to clear the air and reveal it was the right thing to do so fans of all ages could enjoy.
"LANGUAGE! 1. On July 3, you're getting the whole show, every note & scene, & a 1-minute countdown clock during intermission (bathroom!) 2. But MPAA has a hard rule about language: more than 1 utterance of 'F*ck' is an automatic R rating," Miranda tweeted. "We have 3 'F*cks' in our show. So... ...I literally gave two f*cks so the kids could see it ... Love you. Enjoy."
Miranda revealed the two specific moments that had to be edited out in order for the show to stream on Disney+: one curse in the song "Yorktown" and one in the song "Washington on Your Side."
Christopher Jackson, who plays George Washington in Hamilton, also shared his thoughts on the censorship during an interview with Cinema Blend.
"I want to say that only thing that I noticed was maybe an F-bomb or two. Outside of that, it’s the show," Jackson explained. "But I think just because of the motion picture guidelines, it’s way more important that people see it. When my kids sing along to the soundtrack they don’t get to say those words. But the first time my daughter did I said 'Uncle Lin has some explaining to do.'"
So, Hamilton fans, there you have it. Just because a few curse words were taken out of the show doesn't mean the film version of the musical is completely different than the Broadway show.
