It’s a huge move on Disney’s part. The company is effectively canceling its planned theatrical run for the Hamilton recording — which it reportedly paid a record-breaking $75 million for the worldwide rights to — to turn it into a streaming exclusive instead.
The move from theatrical to digital also emphasizes just how much Disney needs content to put on Disney Plus now to keep customers interested in paying that $6.99-per-month subscription. Suspended production on some of its most hyped original shows (like Marvel Studios-produced Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki) means it’s unlikely that any of those original shows will debut in 2020. And with the new major Disney Plus original — the second season of The Mandalorian — not set to premiere until October, Disney needed a big win like Hamilton to keep current subscribers on board and to attract new ones.
