Heights Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda Signs Deal with DreamWorks

Lin-Manuel Miranda is jumping into the world of animation. The creator and former star of the Tony-winning musical In the Heights has signed a development deal with DreamWorks Animation.

Miranda’s first assignment with DreamWorks is to create an animated musical with High School Musical scribe Peter Barsocchini. Larry Mark will produce the untitled project. The storyline and other details are under wraps for now.

Bill Damaschke, the co-president of production at DreamWorks Animation, was inspired to bring Miranda aboard after seeing In the Heights off-Broadway before it transferred to the Great White Way and won four Tony Awards. "I was immediately captivated by him as a performer and a writer," Damaschke told The Hollywood Reporter. "At DreamWorks we want to figure out a way to do an animated musical in the way Jeffrey [Katzenberg] did at Disney in the '80s. Our plan is to do something unique and really innovative. It's been a long time since there's been an animated musical that pushed the medium forward."

Miranda is currently collaborating with lyricist Stephen Sondheim on writing Spanish-language lyrics for the Broadway revival of West Side Story, which opens on March 19. There are plans afoot to bring In the Heights to the big screen. Miranda played his final performance as Usnavi in In the Heights on February 15.