Director Jon M. Chu promises “In the Heights” will make its theatrical debut. Exactly when, of course, is another question as the coronavirus pandemic prompted Warner Bros. to hit the “pause” button on the film’s scheduled June 26 release indefinitely. Screenings of early cuts of the film had already begun when the pandemic broke.

“I hate the word ‘indefinitely’ because it’s sort of open-ended. 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,” Chu said on the “Variety After-Show.” 

The film — starring Anthony Ramos — centers on the largely Hispanic neighborhood of Washington Heights in Manhattan and is based on a hit musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and book by Quiara Alegría Hudes.  

“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,” said Chu. “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.”

Read the full article at Variety.