Sony Pictures Animation’s debut musical project Vivo has been picked up by Netflix, with the streamer licensing all global rights (excluding China). The film had previously been slated for a theatrical release on June 4; a streaming premiere date is yet to be announced. The Vivo deal was reported by Deadline ahead of this morning’s summer slate preview reveal from Netflix. New debut dates and first-looks were revealed for several additional animated features — read on to learn more!
Directed by Oscar nominee Kirk DeMicco (The Croods), co-directed by Brandon Jeffords (head of story, Smurfs: The Lost Village, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2) and featuring original songs by Hamilton and In the Heights creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, Vivo follows a one-of-kind kinkajou (a rainforest “honey bear”) voiced by Miranda, who spends his days playing music to the crowds in a lively Havana square with his beloved owner Andrés (Juan de Marcos González). When tragedy strikes, Vivo must set out from Havana to Miami to deliver a song to his owner’s long-lost love (Gloria Estefan), with the help of an offbeat tween (Ynairaly Simo). The film is written by DeMicco and Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegría Hudes (In the Heights).
The voice cast also features Zoe Saldana as Gabi’s mother Rosa, Brian Tyree Henry and Nicole Byer as two star-crossed spoonbills, Michael Rooker as a villainous python, Leslie David Baker as a Florida bus driver, and Katie Lowes, Olivia Trujillo and Lidya Jewett as three overzealous state troopers. Producers are Lisa Stewart, Michelle Wong and Rich Moor.
Netflix Animated Films Summer Preview 2021:
Wish Dragon | June 11
In Sony Pictures Animation’s Wish Dragon, Din (voiced by Jimmy Wong), a working-class college student with big dreams but small means, and Long (John Cho), a cynical but all-powerful dragon capable of granting wishes, set off on a hilarious adventure through modern day Shanghai in pursuit of Din’s long-lost childhood friend, Lina (Natasha Liu Bordizzo). Their journey forces them to answer some of life’s biggest questions – because when you can wish for anything, you have to decide what really matters.
Written and directed by Chris Appelhans (upcoming K-Pop: Demon Hunters; story artist, Wonder Park), Wish Dragon also features the voices of Constance Wu, Will Yun Lee, Jimmy O. Yang, Aaron Yoo, Bobby Lee and Ronnie Chieng. Producers are Aron Warner, Chris Bremble and Jackie Chan.
America: The Motion Picture | June 30
In this wildly tongue-in-cheek animated revisionist history, a chainsaw-wielding George Washington (voiced by Channing Tatum) assembles a team of rabble rousers — including beer-loving bro Sam Adams, famed scientist Thomas Edison, acclaimed horseman Paul Revere (Bobby Moynihan) and a very pissed off Geronimo (Raoul Max Trujillo) — to defeat Benedict Arnold and King James (Simon Pegg) in the American Revolution. Who will win? No one knows, but you can be sure of one thing: these are not your father’s Founding… uh, Fathers.
America also stars Jason Mantzoukas, Olivia Munn, Judy Greer, Will Forte, Killer Mike and Andy Samberg. The adult animated comedy is directed by Emmy winner Matt Thompson (Archer, Sealab 2021) and written by Dave Callaham (Mortal Kombat, upcoming Spider-Verse sequel), who also serve as producers with Tatum, Reid Carolin, Peter Kiernan, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Will Allegra.
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans | July 2021
In DreamWorks’ Trollhhunters: Rise of the Titans, Arcadia may look like an ordinary town but it lies at the center of magical and mystical lines that makes it a nexus for many battles among otherworldly creatures including trolls, aliens and wizards. Now the heroes from the hit series Trollhunters, 3Below and Wizards, team-up in their most epic adventure yet where they must fight the Arcane Order for control over the magic that binds them all.
Voice cast features Emile Hirsch, Lexi Medrano, Charlie Saxton, Kelsey Grammer, Alfred Molina, Steven Yeun, Nick Frost, Colin O’Donoghue, Diego Luna, Tatiana Maslany, Cole Sand, Nick Offerman, Fred Tatasciore, Brian Blessed, Kay Bess, Piotr Michael, James Hong, Tom Kenny, Angel Lin, Amy Landecker, Jonathan Hyde, Bebe Wood, Laraine Newman, Grey Griffin and Cheryl Hines.
Rise of the Titans is directed by Johane Matte, Francisco Ruiz Velasco and Andrew L. Schmidt, written by Marc Guggenheim, Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman. Producers are Guillermo del Toro, Marc Guggenheim, Chad Hammes, Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman.
The Loud House Movie | Summer 2021
In Nickelodeon’s much-anticipated The Loud House Movie, the biggest family on television goes on the biggest Loud family vacation ever! The adventure follows the Loud family to Scotland where they discover that they are descendants of Scottish royalty. The family quickly indulges in the most wish-fulfilling high-life ever when they discover their ancestral home is a castle.
Director Dave Needham (head of story, Smallfoot) and writers Kevin Sullivan and Chris Viscardi planned this hilarious family trip, which features the voices of Asher Bishop, Michelle Gomez, David Tennant, Grey Griffin, Jill Talley, Brian Stepanek, Jessica DiCicco, Liliana Mumy, Cristina Pucelli, Nika Futterman, Lara Jill Miller, Andre Robinson, Cat Taber, Katy Townsend, Carlos PenaVega and Izabella Alvarez. Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios.
… And of course, Sony Pictures Animation’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines premieres this Friday, April 30. Directed by Mike Rianda from a screenplay he wrote with fellow Gravity Falls veteran Jeff Rowe, the pic has already picked up favorable reviews from critics ahead of its long-awaited debut.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines is an animated action-comedy about an ordinary family who find themselves in the middle of their biggest family challenge yet…saving the world from the robot apocalypse. No big deal, right? It all starts when creative outsider Katie Mitchell (voiced by Abbi Jacobson) is accepted into the film school of her dreams and is eager to leave home and find “her people,” when her nature-loving dad (Danny McBride) insists on having the whole family drive her to school and bond during one last totally-not-awkward-or-forced road trip. But just when the trip can’t get any worse, the family suddenly finds itself in the middle of the robot uprising! Everything from smart phones, to roombas, to evil Furbys are employed to capture every human on the planet. Now it’s up to the Mitchells, including upbeat mom Linda (Maya Rudolph), quirky little brother Aaron (Rianda), their squishy pug, Monchi (Doug the Pug), and two friendly, but simple-minded robots (Fred Armisen and Beck Bennett) to save humanity.
Produced by Oscar winners Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The LEGO Movie) and Kurt Albrecht, the movie also features the voices of Eric André as tech boss Mark Bowman and Oscar winner Olivia Colman as virtual assistant PAL, as well as Blake Griffin, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Charlyne Yi, Conan O’Brien, Sasheer Zamata, Elle Mills, Jay Pharoah, Alex Hirsch and Griffin McElroy.
The streamer’s robust upcoming original animated feature slate also includes Clare Knight and Harry Cripps’ Back to the Outback (Fall 2021), Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Adventure, Chris Williams’ The Sea Beast, Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild, Nora Twomey’s My Father’s Dragon, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Wendy Rogers’ The Magician’s Elephant, Minkyu Lee’s The Witch Boy, a Chicken Run sequel (Aardman), Redwall film & event series, a musical adaptation of Lupita Nyong’o’s Sulwe, and Steps, a Cinderella-inspired musical comedy produced by Amy Poehler and directed by Alyce Tzue.
