Dascha Polanco is the latest name to join In the Heights.
Her casting was announced Tuesday, along with Daphne Rubin-Vega and Stephanie Beatriz. They join Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Jimmy Smits, Leslie Grace, and Melissa Barrera.
Before Hamilton, Miranda brought In the Heights (written by Quiara Alegría Hudes) to Broadway in 2008, which was set over three days, involving an ensemble cast of characters in the largely Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City.
In the Heights was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestrations, and won four. It’s also a Grammy winner for Best Musical Show Album and was nominated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
It didn’t take long for Hollywood to notice, and in November 2008, Universal Pictures announced plans to adapt the musical as a feature film for release in 2011. Kenny Ortega was set to direct the movie, which was slated to begin filming in summer 2011. However, the project stalled when Universal opted not to produce it due to budgetary concerns.
Skip ahead about five years later, and it was revealed that The Weinstein Co. had revived the project with a reported $15 million budget. No director had been attached, but Hudes was working on the screenplay. Now, after The Weinstein Co. folded and Warner Bros. won a huge bid for the rights, everything is full steam ahead with Jon M. Chu as the director and production underway. The film is due in theaters in June 2020.
Polanco, most known for her role in Orange is the New Black, last appeared in Netflix’s Russian Doll.
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Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter
