Hamilton and In the Heights actor Lin-Manuel Miranda is busier than ever. Recently it was announced that he will be making his directorial debut in Tic Toc Boom and now his latest VO for an animated character, in Netflix’s new musical film Vivo will premiering on Friday, August 6.
Academy Award nominee Miranda is the leading voice in this mix of rom-com and adventure for kids and adults, whose cast also features Zoe Saldana (Avatar series), actress, singer and composer Gloria Estefan and Juan de Marcos González, a singer of the Buena Vista Social Club featured in the eponymous Oscar-nominated documentary about Cuba’s iconic music ensemble. Miranda does double duty on Vivo as he is one of the composers along with Alex Lacamoire |(The Greatest Showman).
The story and screenplay are by Oscar-nominated director and writer Kirk DeMicco (The Croods) and Quiara Alegría Hudes (In the Heights).
Directed DeMicco and Brandon Jeffords, Vivo follows a lovable one-of-kind kinkajou, a.k.a. a rainforest “honey bear” (Miranda), who spends his days playing music to the crowds in a lively square with his beloved owner Andrés (González).
Tragedy strikes shortly after Andrés receives a letter from the famous singer Marta Sandoval (Estefan), inviting her old partner to her farewell concert with the hope of reconnecting. It’s up to Vivo to deliver a message that Andrés never could: A love letter to Marta, written long ago, in the form of a song. But to get to Marta, who lives a world apart, Vivo will need the help of Gabi (newcomer Ynairaly Simo), an energetic tween who bounces to the beat of her own offbeat drum, to fulfill his owner’s wishes.
Other Vivo cast members include Michael Rooker, Brian Tyree, Nicole Byer, Leslie David Baker, Katie Lowes, Olivia Trujillo and Lidya Jewett. Other talents who contribute voices to the film are Oscar Camacho, Eileen Galindo, Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez, Richard Miro, Paloma Morales, Christian Ochoa, Susan Oliveras and Arianna Rosario.
Miranda has voiced animated characters previously, including the TV series DuckTales for Disney, BoJack Horseman for Netflix, Nina’s World for Universal Kids and the short Polar Bears. While he didn’t lend his voice to Disney’s animated film Moana, he wrote the movie’s theme “How Far I’ll Go” that earned him an Oscar nom.
Vivo premiered July 30, 2021, and is scheduled for a digital release on Netflix on August 6, 2021.
Featured Photo: Vivo and Andrés in ‘Vivo’ (Credit: Neflix/SPAI)