Netflix picks up Lin-Manuel Miranda's animated musical Vivo from Sony

According to Deadline, Netflix has picked up the global distribution rights* to Sony Pictures Animations Vivo from The Croods’ Kirk DeMicco and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2's Brandon Jeffords, with the asterisk up there referring to the fact that this only applies to 99 percent of the planet (Sony will retain the rights for China and only China).

The real noteworthy thing about Vivo, other than the fact that you’ll be able to see it on Netflix (movies, streamed into your home like magic!) is that it will feature new songs written and performed by one Lin-Manuel Miranda, who will also be starring in the film as a “one-of-a-kind kinkajou” named Vivo. The movie is about Miranda’s Vivo and his owner Andrés (Juan de Marcos González), who typically spend their days playing music in “a lively Havana square” until some kind of tragedy occurs and Vivo has to go to Miami to play a song for Andrés’ famous friend Marta Sandoval (Gloria Estefan). Along the way there’s an “energetic tween” and probably some learning and growing and… general music-based frolicking. The sort of stuff that happens in a movie like this, you know.

Vivo was written by DeMicco and Quiara Alegría Hudes (who wrote the book for In The Heights). In a statement, Mirada said that making Vivo “has been an incredible artistic journey,” and he says that putting on Netflix will ensure that “kids of all ages will be able to enjoy the film’s songs and adventures again and again.” Songs and adventures! That sounds better than music-based frolicking. That’s what we should’ve said in the previous paragraph.