Kenny Ortega Will Direct In the Heights Film

By Kenneth Jones
15 Dec 2009

Kenny Ortega
Kenny Ortega
Photo by Aubrey Reuben

Kenny Ortega, who directed the hit "High School Musical" films and choreographed "Newsies" and "Dirty Dancing," will direct Universal's film version of the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights, Variety reported.

Tony Award-winning songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda will reportedly reprise his Tony-nominated turn as Usnavi, the narrator-hero of the story, about family, friends and lovers in Washington Heights, the tight-knit Latino neighborhood in Manhattan.

Miranda wrote the music and lyrics. The Tony-nominated librettist Quiara Alegria Hudes is adapting the screenplay.

The film's producer is Meryl Poster. Stage producers Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller and Jill Furman will serve as executive producers.

Ortega directed the 2009 hit "This Is It," the musical film documentary about rehearsals for Michael Jackson's final concert.