Entertainment

Andrew Garfield suffers for his art in Tick, Tick… Boom! trailer

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The film marks the feature directorial debut of Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Andrew Garfield suffers for his art in the trailer for Netflix musical Tick, Tick… Boom!

The actor stars in the film as Jonathan Larson, the revered playwright and composer behind smash hit stage musical Rent.

Tick, Tick… Boom!, which will mark Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s feature directorial debut, is based on Larson’s semi-autobiographical work of the same name.

Garfield plays an aspiring theatre composer whose dream of making it big appears as far away as ever while he works at a New York City diner in 1990.

It is set against the backdrop of an Aids epidemic ravaging the creative community.

“There’s not enough time,” Garfield, 38, says in a voiceover for the trailer. “I went to three friends’ funerals last year and nobody is doing enough. I’m not doing enough.”

The teaser also shows Garfield’s desperate attempts to bring his musical to life.

Tick, Tick... Boom!
Andrew Garfield will star in Tick, Tick… Boom! which is the feature directorial debut of Lin-Manuel Miranda (Macall Polay/Netflix/PA) (MACALL POLAY/NETFLIX © 2021/MACALL POLAY/NETFLIX © 2021)

“I have an original rock musical,” he says. “And I have spent the last eight years of my life writing. And rewriting. And rewriting. And the time keeps ticking.”

A friend tells him, “You need to ask, are you letting yourself be led by fear or by love?” to which he responds, “Fear! 100% fear!”

Tick, Tick… Boom! also stars X-Men actress Alexandra Shipp, Pose star Mj Rodriguez, The West Wing’s Bradley Whitford and High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens.

The film begins streaming on Netflix on November 19.