Fans quickly started to speculate and wonder after seeing the initial trailer’s rating if Disney had made any cuts so that the provocative musical, complete with coarse language and difficult subject matter, could uphold their family-friendly image.
From the moment their hearts started beating again upon the close of the first teaser trailer for the upcoming Disney+ release of “Hamilton,” fans of the musical quickly started commenting about its revealed PG-13 rating.
With Disney notorious for censoring existing projects to maintain its strict family-friendly image, fans were perhaps in their right to be concerned.
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From shunting “Love, Simon” over to Hulu from Disney+ due to its more sophisticated content to lengthening Daryl Hannah’s hair digitally (and badly) to cover her bare buttocks in “Splash” (which scored a PG rating upon its release) on the streamer, the media giant has a history of odd decisions in this area.
“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda was quick to jump online and field queries from concerned fans about just what did and didn’t make the cut from his nearly three-hour musical epic about the founding fathers.
With violence, death, infidelity, the loss of a child (just to name a few) among the tough topics on display, theater buffs found themselves wondering just how much of “Hamilton” would survive the Disney filter.
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As it turns out, just about all of it. In fact, it was Miranda who made a concession to secure that PG-13 rating, and he said he did so because of a hard and fast rule about how many times you can drop an f-bomb in a film to get that rating.
“I literally gave two f–ks so the kids could see it,” he said, detailing exactly what was cut and how it’s been modified.
…I literally gave two fucks so the kids could see it:
1. In Yorktown, there’s a mute over “I get the f___ back up again”
2. “Southern *record scratch*kin’ Democratic Republicans.”
You can sing whatEVER you like at home (even sync up the album)!
Love you. Enjoy.— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) June 22, 2020
@Lin_Manuel
That means that every bit of the play, otherwise, remains intact and will be presented in its entirety for fans. He even promised everything from the final bows and even crowd sounds, but “not the ringtones.”
What’s particularly interesting, though, is that the official cast recording only has two f-drops that aren’t self-censored in the show itself. Does that mean he’s removed all f-bombs from the film, or is there an elusive third drop that made the rating?
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This production was recorded in 2016 from a live stage production featuring the original Broadway cast and they were known for dropping ad-libs from time to time, so there could be a third moment in this particular take on the musical.
One possibility for such an ad-libbed moment comes in a scene not featured on the cast recording called “Laurens Interlude,” as Miranda felt it didn’t really feel like a song in its own right. He’s already confirmed its inclusion in the Disney+ production, which is one more thing for fans to look forward to.
Featuring the original Broadway cast, “Hamilton” Hamil-drops on Disney+ on Friday, July 3.
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