Walt Disney Animation Studios released a trailer for the upcoming Colombian-inspired film Encanto, scheduled for release on the 24th of November.
Encanto, co-directed by Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith, will be the 60th film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The trailer does not give away too much information about the storyline besides that it will be set in a fantastical village in Colombia focusing on the Madrigal family who each possess magical gifts, including shapeshifting, strength, healing and plant growth. Mirabel, the only one in the magical Madrigal family to not possess any power, will be the central focus of the story.
Producers & Directors
Producing will be Winnie the Pooh and Frozen alum Clark Spencer, alongside Yvett Merino. It will be Merino’s producing debut contributing to films such as Moana, Big Hero 6 and Tangled in other departments.
Co-director Howard is no stranger to amazing animated films, having previously co-directed Bolt, Tangled and Zootopia for which he won an Oscar. And his work on Tangled earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe. Howard also served as a supervising animator on Lilo & Stitch and Brother Bear.
As well as co-directing, Jared Bush will also serve as the co-screenwriter alongside Smith for Ecanto. Bush has written Zootopia and Moana. Bush has also worked on other films such as Big Hero 6, Frozen II as well as serving as Executive Producer for Raya and the Last Dragon.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda is an American actor, singer, songwriter and playwright. He is best known for his highly successful Broadway musicals he wrote and starred in, In the Heights and Hamilton. During his career Miranda has racked up most notably 3 Tony Awards, 3 Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award.
Hamilton, a reimagining of the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, granted Miranda international fame. It was nominated for a total of 16 Tony Awards of which it won 11.
The Tony winner then went on to collaborate with Disney, writing the music and songs for. His song “How Far I’ll Go” earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
Miranda has also notably contributed music to Stars Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. And has signed on to write songs alongside Oscar winner Alan Menken for Disney’s upcoming live action remake of The Little Mermaid.
The trailer opens with the Madrigal’s house which seems to be enchanted and magical itself, dancing to the “Colombia, Mi Encanto”. Performed by Colombian singer Carlos Vives, it is the first glance we get of Miranda’s original music.
“This song is a celebration of the magical diversity of Colombia,” Vives said in article by Entertainment Focus, “I can’t wait to see how the music will blend with the images and the characters inspired by the ‘encanto’ of Colombians.”
Synopsis
The official synopsis from Disney reads:
“Encanto tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. In the film, the magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal—every child except one, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz). But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family’s last hope.”
Cast
Cast as our protagonist struggling to find her place in her family Mirabel, is Brooklyn Nine Nine fan-favourite Stephanie Beatriz. She has recently collaborated with Lin-Manuel Miranda to adapt his Broadway musical In the Heights into a film.
Stephanie comments in an article by Entertainment Focus:
“Mirabel is a really funny, loving character who also deeply yearns for something more,” says Beatriz. “She’s also not afraid to stand up for what she knows is right—something I love and relate to very much.
“I’m Colombian on my father’s side, and playing this role fills me with immense pride,” continues Beatriz. “As a Disney kid, I’d burn through my VHS tapes and adored every single magical story that the world of Disney introduced me to. I learned in those that stories that anything is possible, especially if you believe in magic and the goodness rooted deep inside us all.”
Other notable cast include María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Adassa, Diane Guerrero, Mauro Castillo, Angie Cepeda, Jessica Darrow, Rhenzy Feliz and Carolina Gaitan.
Check out trailer for Encanto right here!
Subscribe to FIB’s Weekly Breaking News Report for your weekly dose of music, fashion and pop culture news!
