WARRIORS: Everything You Need to Know About Lin- Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis' New Broadway-Bound Musical
WARRIORS will begin previews at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in March 2027.
Hey, boppers! It's official! WARRIORS, the acclaimed concept album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis, is making the leap to Broadway. After years of development, the adaptation of Sol Yurick's 1965 novel, popularized by Walter Hill's 1979 cult classic film, will begin performances at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in March 2027, bringing this iconic story to the stage as a new musical.
"With WARRIORS, we take a fateful journey through New York City full of heart and grit as our characters fight to survive," said co-writers Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis. "Musicalizing such a vibrant world for the concept album has been a thrill, and now we're coming out to play on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne. We can't wait."
As anticipation builds for one of Broadway's most anticipated new musicals, here's everything you need to know about WARRIORS before it arrives on Broadway!
What is WARRIORS About?
Based on the Paramount Pictures motion picture The Warriors and the book The Warriors by Sol Yurick, the plot finds nine unarmed delegates from the Coney Island street gang The Warriors, traveling to the Bronx for a midnight meeting of the various gangs of the city, called by visionary leader, Cyrus. When The Warriors are falsely framed for Cyrus' assassination, the gang must fight for their lives through on a perilous 30-mile journey back to their Brooklyn home turf.
Though the shape of the story has changed over the years, it's foundation is inspired by the Anabasis, an ancient Greek account by Xenophon that follows 10,000 Greek mercenaries stranded deep inside the Persian Empire after their leader is killed in battle. Forced to elect new leaders and fight their way through hostile territory, they embark on a perilous journey home.
WARRIORS: The Album
Lin-Manuel Miranda has said that The Warriors became one of the defining movies of his childhood after he first saw it at just four years old. Growing up in New York City, he recognized the film's dangers (being stranded on the subway, ending up in the wrong neighborhood, and simply trying to make it home safely) as "every fear you're supposed to have as a New Yorker." Although Miranda loved the film for decades, adapting it wasn't initially his idea. Shortly after In the Heights opened on Broadway, his friend Phil Westgren suggested The Warriors as their next musical. Miranda dismissed the idea at first, but after Hamilton, he realized he had never stopped thinking about it. He eventually invited playwright and songwriter Eisa Davis, whom he had known since In the Heights and Passing Strange were both on Broadway, to help reimagine the story, combining his lifelong fascination with the film and her passion for the history and origins of hip-hop.
The 26-song album was announced in August 2024 and released by Atlantic Records on October 18, 2024. It was executive produced by Nas and produced by Mike Elizondo, featuring an all-star cast that includes music icons Lauryn Hill, Marc Anthony, Busta Rhymes, Cam'ron, Ghostface Killah, RZA and more alongside Broadway mainstays including Billy Porter, Colman Domingo, Amber Gray, and numerous alumni of Lin's past projects.
In its first week, the WARRIORS concept album achieved the #1 spot on the Billboard Compilation Album charts with 5.5 Million Global Streams and debuted at #8 on Digital Albums, #10 on Current Pop Albums, #21 on Current Album Sales, and #24 on Album Sales (including Catalog).
Warriors was widely praised for its ambitious score, diverse musical styles, and all-star cast. The concept album charted on Billboard, inspired a sold-out silent disco listening event at Lincoln Center in 2025.
WARRIORS: Album vs. Film vs. Musical
While the album follows the same basic plot as the 1979 film, it reimagines the story through a different lens. Most notably, the Warriors are now an all-female gang, which shifts the themes toward sisterhood, survival, and the experience of moving through the city as women. Characters who were lightly sketched in the film, particularly Mercy and Cyrus, are given expanded roles, allowing the story to explore community, belonging, and identity in greater depth.
While we don't yet know the full extent of Lin and Eisa's edits for the staged version, the musical will include a full book, co-written by Miranda and Davis. According to an interview with The New York Times, the team has continued work on the score following the album's release. In addition to a, "more robust opening number," the show will be primarily sung, but will include some spoken scenes.
The #HAMFAM is present
The production will reunite Lin with some of his Tony-winning usual suspects including co-director and choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, producers Thomas Kail and Jeffrey Seller, and scenic designer David Korins. New to the team are director Jenny Koons, Costume Designer Dede Ayite, lighting designer Natasha Katz, sound designer Jason Crystal, projection designer Hana S. Kim, and music supervisor and orchestrator Kurt Crowley, along with his fellow orchestrators by Scott Wasserman and Mike Elizondo.
Though casting for the Broadway production has yet to be announced, the album featured several Hamilton alumni in its voice cast including Phillipa Soo, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Sasha Hutchings, Joshua Henry, Aneesa Folds, Kenita Miller, and Julia Harriman. There is no word on whether any of the album cast are expected to reprise their roles. According to Lin, the show will feature a cast of 20 performers.
Bonus Fact!
The show will earn Lin-Manuel the distinction of having two productions running simultaneously on the same block. Warriors will play at the Lunt-Fontanne, just a stone's throw from the Richard Rodgers Theater, longtime home of Hamilton.
