Tag Archives: Quiara Alegría Hudes

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Animated Musical Film “Vivo” Headed to Netflix

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Lin-Manuel Miranda is getting animated once again…

Netflix has picked up the streaming rights to Vivo, an animated movie that boasts new music from the 41-year-old Broadway star, actor, lyricist/composer and Hamilton creator.

Lin-Manuel Miranda 

The family friendly film was initially scheduled to be released in theaters on June 4. But Sony Pictures, the studio that originally backed Vivo, has instead offloaded the project to Netflix. It’s unclear when it will debut on the streaming service.

Sony Pictures will retain all rights in China, along with home entertainment and linear television rights everywhere else, following periods of exclusivity on Netflix.

Netflix recently signed a lucrative deal with Sony, which gives the streamer exclusive U.S. rights to the studio’s theatrical releases in the first pay TV window.

In addition, Netflix has a first-look deal with Sony’s offerings. However, the pact doesn’t commence until 2022 so it doesn’t include the sale of Vivo.

Vivo was directed by The Croods filmmaker Kirk DeMicco and co-directed by Brandon Jeffords. Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote the book for Miranda’s In The Heights, has co-written the screenplay with DeMicco.

The animated musical adventure follows a unique kinkajou (a.k.a. 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. Though they may not speak the same language, Vivo and Andrés are the perfect duo through their common love of music. But when tragedy strikes shortly after Andrés receives a letter from the famous Marta Sandoval (Gloria Estefan), inviting her old partner to her farewell concert in Miami 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. Yet in order to get to the distant shores of Miami, Vivo will need to accept the help of Gabi (newcomer Ynairaly Simo) — an energetic teen who bounces to the beat of her own offbeat drum. The voice cast also includes Zoe Saldana, Brian Tyree Henry and Nicole Byer.

“Bringing Vivo to life has been an incredible artistic journey. I couldn’t ask for better creative partners than Kirk, Quiara, Alex and the entire team at Sony Animation,” Miranda said. “I’m so excited Vivo will have a home at Netflix, where kids of all ages will be able to enjoy the film’s songs and adventures again and again.”

Vivo isn’t the first movie musical from Miranda that skipped theaters in favor of streaming. The live-recorded version of Hamilton was supposed to play on the big screen, but instead debuted on Disney+ last July.

Warner Bros. to Release Anthony Ramos’ “In The Heights” on June 11

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Anthony Ramos’ moment in the heights to happen a week earlier…

Warner Bros.’ has announced plans to release the Jon M. Chu-directed feature musical In The Heights, starring the 29-year-old Puerto Rican actor/singer on June 11, a week earlier than previously scheduled.

Anthony Ramos in In The Heights

The movie, the feature adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Tony Award-winning musical, recently dropped a new trailer.

In the Heights is set in the titular Latinx community of New York City’s bustling Washington Heights. When the neighborhood’s charismatic local bodega owner, and the film’s humble narrator, finally decides to fulfill his dream of going to the island his parents called home, his departure will change his beloved block forever.

In the Heights stars Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco and icon Jimmy Smits.

The film was originally scheduled to be released last summer before COVID-19 pushed it to this year.

Anthony Ramos In Talks to Star in the Film Adaptation of the Hit Broadway Musical “In The Heights”

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Anthony Ramos may be reaching new Heights…

The 26-year-old Puerto Rican actor, part of the original cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton, is in negotiations to star in In the Heights, Warner Bros.’ adaptation of Miranda’s other Tony-winning musical.

Anthony Ramos

If the talks pan out, Ramos would play Usnavi, the bodega owner at the center of the action in the Washington Heights-set musical, according to Deadline.

Miranda originated the role in the musical and earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance.

The musical won four Tonys in 2008 including for Best Musical, for Quiara Alegría Hudes’ book, and for Miranda’s lyrics. In the original storyline, Usnavi strikes it rich and plans to leave, until the pull of the neighborhood and the people in it give him pause.

The synopsis of the In The Heights film: Residents of the largely Latino Upper Manhattan neighborhood Washington Heights – a bodega owner, a college student, a taxi driver, a beauty salon worker, and an old woman – aspire for better lives as gentrification begins to take hold, and a sweltering summer power blackout brings their personal life crises to a head.

This is the first cast action since it was announced in May that Warner Bros. had wrapped a $50 million deal to acquire film rights to the musical. The property was the subject of a hot auction after it was extracted from the The Weinstein Company ahead of its bankruptcy.

Jon M. Chu is directing the film, adapted by Hudes.

Ramos, who played Philip Hamilton and John Laurens in Hamilton, appeared in Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It.

He currently appears in A Star is Born, as well as toplined the Sundance Film Festival film Monsters and Men.

He’ll next appear in Legendary‘s filmGodzilla: King of Monsters.

Warner Bros. to Release Film Adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Musical “In The Heights” in June 2020

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Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical is reaching new height… on the big screen.

Warner Bros. has set a release date for the feature adaptation of the 38-year-old Puerto Rican Broadway composer, lyricist, playwright and actor and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

The film, directed by Jon M. Chu, will be released onJune 26, 2020.

No cast has been set yet, but Miranda is producing with the musical being adapted from Hudes’ script and Miranda’s music and lyrics.

A decade ago, Miranda starred in the four-Tony-winning Broadway musical in which he played a bodega owner in Washington Heights who strikes it rich and plans to leave, until the pull of the neighborhood and the people in it give him pause. Miranda followed that up by creating Hamilton.

June 26 is a prime date for In the Heights as the musical also takes place during the summer, with a positive emphasis on family and community.

The only other studio wide release scheduled on that date is an untitled Fox Marvel movie.

Chu has Warners’ upcoming Crazy Rich Asians coming out on August 15.

Hudes Claims Pulitzer Prize for Drama

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Quiara Alegría Hudes is probably still celebrating her professional success by the spoonful…

The half-Puerto Rican playwright and author has won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for drama with her play Water by the Spoonful, according to Columbia University.

Quiara Alegría Hudes

Hudes, best known for writing the book for the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights, was awarded $10,000 for the play that reflects the return to civilian life of an Iraq War veteran.

The jury of the 96th annual Pulitzer Prizes wished to honor Hudes’ “imaginative playwhich is set in her native Philadelphia.

Water by the Spoonful was produced last fall at the Stage Company in Hartford, Connecticut.

Hudes, who earned a bachelor’s degree  in music from Yale University and an M.F.A. in playwriting from Brown University, was a finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer with Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue. She’s also the creator of other musicals like Barrio Grrrl!, which premiered in 2009 at Washington’s Kennedy Center.

At the age of 12, Hudes’ first play was produced by the Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival and she still returns home to lead workshops for young scribes.