Turn up the stage lights and get a glimpse of what life is like in Washington Heights in an exclusive new clip from the upcoming film adaptation of the beloved Lin-Manuel Miranda musical In the Heights.
The one-minute exclusive clip, which premiered at the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards on Sunday (May 16), centers on Usnavi de la Vega (Anthony Ramos) as he inspires his community to sing and dance along with him in the sizzling summertime anthem “Carnaval Del Barrio.” His relationship with Vanessa (Melissa Barrera) gets a spotlight moment too as the duo dance together to the song’s Latin-infused backbeat.
To introduce the clip, Miranda explained that In the Heights is an “extremely personal” film to him because it’s inspired by people and magic of the neighborhood he grew up in. “Washington Heights is all about the music, the food, the people, the culture — it’s all one big mashup of incredible experiences for the senses,” he said.
Ramos, Barrera, Corey Hawkins, and Leslie Grace also joined Miranda via Zoom to further explain just what makes Washington Heights a place unlike anywhere else — from the sound of neighborhood chatter to too-hot coffee to the ever-present music.
“But it’s one thing to hear us talk about it. It’s another to feel it for yourself,” Miranda said. “That’s what we’re trying to do: bring this neighborhood to you.”
Get ready to step into the world of Washington Heights for yourself when In the Heights hits theaters June 11, 2021.
The 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards are airing live right now from the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Find the complete winners list right here.
