Olga Merdiz (The Place Beyond the Pines) and Gregory Diaz (Broadway’s Matilda) have joined Anthony Ramos (Hamilton, A Star is Born), Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton), Jimmy Smits, Leslie Grace, and Melissa Barrera in Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In The Heights, according to a tweet by he famed composer. You can check out the full tweet below!
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“And now I’m thrilled to announce some more #InTheHeightsMovie casting news,” Miranda tweeted before relaying that Smits would be playing Kevin Rosario, Diaz will play Sonny, and Merediz is set to portray Abuela Claudia in the feature adaptation.
In the Heights is set in Washington Heights in New York City and focuses on a bodega owner who is closing his store and retiring to the Dominican Republic after inheriting his grandmother’s fortune. The musical won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical.
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Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) will direct from a script written by Quiara Alegría Hudes (Hamilton). Miranda, Anthony Bregman, Mara Jacobs, and Scott Sanders will serve as producers on the project. Miranda portrayed the lead role of Usnavi in the Broadway musical, and also wrote the music and lyrics.
In The Heights will be filming this summer on location in NYC’s Washington Heights. It’s scheduled to open in June of 2020.
*taps *
And now I’m thrilled to announce some more #InTheHeightsMovie casting news…@TheOlgaMerediz IS Abuela Claudia!
Gregory Diaz IV IS Sonny!
Jimmy Smits IS Kevin Rosario!See y’all uptown.
…More soon. pic.twitter.com/hL1l3BiIlz— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) April 15, 2019
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
