Netflix has licensed the first worldwide streaming rights (minus those in China) to Vivo, a Sony animated movie that was originally set to release in theaters on June 4. It's an animated movie that stars Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda as Vivo, a talented rainforest kinkajou (commonly known as a honey bear), and features 11 original songs from Miranda himself.
It's unclear when Netflix will release the movie, but since the streaming service just dropped a trailer for the film to coincide with the announcement, we expect we won't have to wait too long for it to arrive. Check it out below:
Vivo's journey in the film takes him on a journey from Havana to Miami. His goal? Deliver a song from his kindly teacher Andres – the movie generally sounds like it's big on the love of music, and the talking bear is just a bonus, we guess. This is also the first animated movie in which Miranda has voiced a character.
The cast is pretty packed with big names: Gloria Estefan, Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker and Brian Tyree Henry will be joining Miranda in the movie.
Miranda famously provided the songs for 2016's Moana. One of his other musicals, In the Heights, will release on HBO Max in the US on June 11 – so it seems like a pretty busy year for him.
Why does Netflix buy movies from studios?
When Netflix acquires a movie like this, it's arguably a win-win for the streaming service and the studio in question. The studio can cover its costs and make money on top without the risk of opening a movie at the box office, while Netflix gets something new and shiny to get subscribers excited.
In this particular case, too, Sony gets to keep the rights to release Vivo on home video and show it on TV, according to Coming Soon.
Movies that Netflix has bought up from other studios over the past year or so include Enola Holmes and The Trial of the Chicago Seven, two of its most high-profile releases. Another Sony animated movie bought by Netflix – The Mitchells vs the Machines, produced by The Lego Movie's Chris Lord and Phil Miller – debuts on the service this Friday.
