Lin Manuel-Miranda Posts Open Casting Call for 'In the Heights' Film

“In the Heights” and “Hamilton” creator Lin Manuel-Miranda is conducting a worldwide open casting search for the big-screen adaptation of his 2008 Tony award-winning musical “In the Heights.” But actors who don’t want to throw away their shot need to act fast.

In a video posted to Castittalent.com Miranda rapped: “Lights up on Washington Heights up at the break of day, I wake up I got all these roles someone was meant to play. Necesito que represente mi gente (I need someone to represent my people), could it be you?”

If it could, you have until Nov. 7 to submit your video audition.

Miranda is looking for actors to fill four roles. However, the descriptions given in the casting call aren’t necessarily for the roles people will be considered for. They’re being used to give them an idea of what role best suits those who send in an audition tape. Those who audition are being asked to read from a script written “in the spirit” of the characters who will appear in the film.

Also Read: Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'In The Heights' Set for Summer 2020 Release

Earlier this month, Anthony Ramos of “Hamilton” fame was cast as the lead in the Warner Bros. film, which is set to be directed by “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon Chu.

Ramos previously played the lead role of Unsavi in a production of “In the Heights” at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

The musical, created by Lin Manuel-Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes, follows a bodega owner in the New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood, who has mixed feelings about closing his store and retiring to the Dominican Republic after inheriting his grandmother’s fortune.

Also Read: Lin Manuel-Miranda, Quiara Alegría Hudes Wrestle 'In The Heights' Movie Rights Back From TWC

The Broadway production of “In The Heights” won the Tony for Best Musical and Best Original Score, as well as a Grammy for Best Musical Show album.

Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and starred in the lead role when “In the Heights” landed on Broadway. Hudes wrote the book for the musical.

The descriptions of the characters are as follows:

Female Role No. 1 — Young, starry-eyed and intelligent (book-smart and street-smart). Must sing and dance well. Familiarity with speaking Spanish is ideal.

Female Role No. 2 – A strong woman who is stylish, sassy and loves to gossip. Must sing and dance well. Familiarity with speaking Spanish is ideal.

Male Role No. 1 – Completely streetwise, this teen is brilliant but also a total goofball. Must sing and dance well. Familiarity with speaking Spanish is ideal.

Male Role No. 2 – Driven, charismatic, and full of energy. Puts on a brave face when times get tough. Must rap, sing and dance well. Familiarity with speaking Spanish is ideal.

20 Highest Grossing Movie Musicals of the Last 40 Years, From 'Grease' to 'La La Land' (Photos)

Who said the musical is dead? The last 40 years have produced box office hits out of film adaptations of Broadway smashes, original movie musicals and a few, beloved, all-time classics. Here are the 20 top-grossing live-action movie musicals of the last 40 years based on domestic box office. (All figures courtesy of BoxOfficeMojo)
20. "Moulin Rouge!" (2001) - $57.3 million

Baz Luhrmann didn't invent the jukebox musical, but his film's exuberant, garish mash-up of original songs with everything from Christina Aguilera to David Bowie to Rodgers & Hammerstein certainly helped popularize it for the 21st century.
Fox
19. "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1980) - $67.1 million

Sissy Spacek played the legendary country singer Loretta Lynn in Michael Apted's biopic that went on to be one of the Top 10 box office hits of 1980 and a Best Picture nominee.
Universal
18. "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982) - $69.7 million

Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton starred in this adaptation of a stage hit about a sheriff fighting to keep a local brothel open after it's called out by a TV reporter. The film performed well enough at the box office to knock the long-running "E.T." from the No. 1 spot.
Universal
17. "Ray" (2004) - $75.3 million

Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for capturing the mannerisms of Ray Charles on stage, and though Foxx can sing himself, all the songs are Charles' original vocals.
Universal
16. "Annie" (2014) - $85.9 million

Instead of the freckled red head, the modern update to "Annie" starred "Beasts of the Southern Wild" star Quvenzhane Wallis in the lead role alongside Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx.
Columbia Pictures
15. "The Muppets" (2011) - $88.6 million

The Muppets had a big box office slump in the '90s and disappeared entirely in the 2000s. Jason Segel's musical helped make them relevant again.
Buena Vista
14. "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" (2008) - $90.5 million

The first two "High School Musical" films were such massive, surprise hit TV movies on the Disney Channel that they went all out for a theatrically released threequel that made over $90 million.
Disney
13. "Dreamgirls" (2006) - $103.3 million

Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar for her work in this Broadway-based drama about a trio of female soul singers who rose to the top of the charts. The cast included Beyonce, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Anika Noni Rose and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.
Paramount
12. "Hairspray" (2007) - $118.8 million

It's the film adaptation of the stage musical adaptation of John Waters' campy kitsch movie, and somehow, Adam Shankman's film not only turned out to be a hit, it was a joyous, colorful and fun experience that critics loved, even with John Travolta dressed in drag.
New Line
11. "Walk the Line" (2005) - $119.5 million

Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon star in this emotional biopic on the life of Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter.
Fox
10. "Enchanted" (2007) - $127.8 million

The movie that made Amy Adams a star is finally getting a long-awaited sequel, the announced "Disenchanted."
Disney
9. "Into the Woods" (2014) - $128.0 million

Meryl Streep and Chris Pine stole the show in Rob Marshall's adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical sending up classic fairy tales.
Disney
8. "Mamma Mia!" (2008) - $144.1 million

The first "Mamma Mia!" film, an adaptation of the stage hit featuring the songs of ABBA, made a whopping $144 million, opening on the same weekend as "The Dark Knight."
Universal
7. "Les Misérables" (2012) - $148.8 million

Tom Hooper followed up his Best Picture-winning "The King's Speech" with this lavish and dizzying musical that won Anne Hathaway an Oscar. He'll go back to the Broadway musical well for his next film, "Cats."
Fox
6. "La La Land" (2016) - $151.1 million

The almost-Best Picture winner from Damien Chazelle was also runner-up as the highest grossing Best Picture nominee of 2016, falling behind "Hidden Figures."
Lionsgate
5. "Chicago" (2002) - $170.6 million

Rob Marshall's "Chicago" won six Oscars, including Best Picture, and helped launch the genre's revival on the big screen this century.
Miramax
4. "The Greatest Showman" (2017) - $174.3 million

Hugh Jackman's factually loose biopic about the life of P.T. Barnum and the formation of the circus catapulted to success on the heels of its Oscar-nominated song "This is Me" by the "La La Land" songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
NIko Tavernise/20th Century Fox
3. "Straight Outta Compton" (2015) - $161.1 million

F. Gary Gray's biopic about N.W.A did a wonderful job making the legendary rap crew's music vital and timely and even balanced the three stories of Eazy-E, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre nicely.
Universal
2. "Grease" (1978) - $188.7 million

Though its box office total is inflated somewhat by a re-release, "Grease" still holds up not just as one of the best musicals of the last 40 years but also the most successful (certainly given inflation).
Paramount Pictures
1. "Beauty and the Beast" (2017) - $504.0 million

Disney struck gold with its live-action adaptation of the animated hit "Beauty and the Beast," lovingly re-created to minute detail by director Bill Condon with a cast led by Harry Potter alum Emma Watson.
Disney

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Can “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” match the box office success of the original?

Who said the musical is dead? The last 40 years have produced box office hits out of film adaptations of Broadway smashes, original movie musicals and a few, beloved, all-time classics. Here are the 20 top-grossing live-action movie musicals of the last 40 years based on domestic box office. (All figures courtesy of BoxOfficeMojo)

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