Warner Bros. is wrapping up a $50 million deal to acquire the film rights to Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ award-winning musical In the Heights. Crazy Rich Asians director John Chu is set to direct.
The deal comes after Miranda and Hudes fought to recoup the rights from the Weinstein Company after the bombshell of Harvey Weinstein’s multitude of sex scandals. The rights reverted back to the two before The Weinstein Company declared bankruptcy.
Several studios were vying for a shot to produce the film adaptation of In the Heights, including Netflix, Fox, Sony, Disney, Paramount and Apple.
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.