Jul 29, 2021

Musical Kinkajou's Journey to Miami with a new trailer for Sony's "Vivo"

A kinkajou sings songs penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda as he voyages from Cuba to Miami with a little girl. Sony Pictures Animation's Vivo, which debuts on Netflix on August 6, is every bit as offbeat as that sentence suggests.

Vivo the kinkajou (a monkey-like animal) is a mammal on a mission: he has to deliver an important message from his friend Andrés, a musician from Cuba, to the woman he loves. Cue a madcap adventure across Florida, punctuated with big musical set pieces. Watch the new trailer below:

The movie is a vehicle for songs by Miranda, acclaimed creator of musicals Hamilton and In the Heights. This is the songwriter's second animated film, after Disney's Moana. Miranda voices Vivo, joining a cast that also includes Zoe Saldaña, Juan de Marcos, Brian Tyree Henry, Gloria Estefan, and Ynairaly Simo.

The director is Kirk DeMicco (The Croods). He co-wrote the screenplay with Quiara Alegría Hudes (author of the book for In the Heights), from a story by Hudes and Peter Barsocchini. Lisa Stewart, Michelle L.M. Wong, and Rich Moore produced, with Miranda, Laurence Mark, Louis Koo Tin Lok, and composer Alex Lacamoire serving as executive producers.

Vivo was initially scheduled for a theatrical release, but Netflix acquired it as the pandemic dragged on. It is the third Sony Pictures Animation title to be released by Netflix this year, after The Mitchells vs. the Machines and Wish Dragon.

In April, Sony and Netflix announced a major licensing deal that gives the streamer exclusive U.S. rights to stream Sony's theatrical releases in the first pay tv window, as of next year. Netflix also has a first-look agreement covering all Sony's original direct-to-streaming movies.

Stay tuned to Cartoon Brew for a review of the film later today.