Jon M. Chu Promises In The Heights Will Get A Theatrical Release

Crazy Rich Asians director John M. Chu's adaptation of In The Heights has been indefinitely delayed from its scheduled June 26 release date due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Chu has promised that the film adaptation of the Lin Manuel Miranda musical and book by Quiara Alegría Hudes will still definitely see the big screen, Variety reports.

The book, and subsequent musical, follows three days in the predominantly Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City. Speaking to Variety's After-Show, Chu has said that the community being depicted deserves to be seen on the big screen. "What we are committed to is, it’s going to be in a theater. It has to be in a theater. It demands to be in a theater," Chu said. "This community lived a life that deserves to be on the big screen and celebrated in the biggest magical way, [and] we’re going to deliver that."

With the coronavirus crisis causing cinema closures and drops in attendance across the globe, a number of films are being delayed, while others are prioritizing releases on streaming services and VOD. This is likely what Chu is referring to by promising a proper theatrical release.

While the film currently has no release date, Chu has clarified that this is more to do with the uncertainty of the dates than uncertainty around the film. "I hate the word ‘indefinitely’ because it’s sort of open-ended," he said. "We’re gonna have a date. It’s just about if we choose a date now, we’d probably have to shift it later. So, we’re not going to commit to one now."

In the full Variety interview, Chu also touches on Crazy Rich Asians, his new show Home Before Dark, and the racism some Asian people have experienced as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds.