Lights us on Washington Heights… Two new trailers for the upcoming movie “In The Heights” have been released ahead of its June 18 premiere.

While the first trailer focuses on the high-energy number “96,000” with impressive choreo and tempo, showcasing the dreams and hopes of each characters. The second trailer choose to highlights the  tight-knit community of Washington Heights and their bond, especially between Anthony Ramos’ Usnavi and his fellow neighbors.  From what we can see, it seems that the movie decided to stay true to its roots while also exploring new horizons with previews of Usnavi talking to kids in the Caribbean.

Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote the show’s book and the screenplay of the movie, explained :

“The play is set on the block, so the stage is the block. But these characters, like Usnavi, his body’s on the block, but half his heart is in [the Dominican Republic]. So the camera can go there in a way the stage can’t.”

The film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Tony-winning musical In the Heights will hit the screen in 18 june 2021, a year after its original release date. But according to the director Jon Chu, it will be worth the wait :

“We’ve had a hard year, but this movie has so much joy, so much passion, so much community, so much hope in it. It pours out of every frame.”

The two new trailers also showcases one peculiar character : the Piragua Guy, played by Lin-Manuel Miranda himself. Can you spot him?

The movie features an all-star cast including Anthony Ramos – who previously played Laurens in Miranda’s Hamilton –  in the title role of Usnavi, Melissa Barrera as Vanessa, Corey Hawkins as Benny, Leslie Grace as Nina, Olga Merediz as Abuela Claudia. Also in the cast, Stephanie Beatriz as Carla, Daphna Rubin-Vega as Daniela, Dascha Polanco as Cuca, Gregory Diaz IV as Sonny, Noah Catala as Graffiti Pete, Jimmy Smits as Kevin Rosario, and Marc Antony as Sonny’s father.