Encanto director Jared Bush has revealed the details of a deleted scene that could have changed the dynamics of the family Madrigal. Released in 2021, this animated feature has become one of Disney's most popular modern-day films due to its colorful scenery and catchy songs. Although there wasn't a tremendous box office response on the film's debut, it has since picked up a mass following while streaming on Disney+, with the song "We Don't Talk About Bruno" receiving so much media attention that it reached number 1 in the Billboard 100 singles charts. Songwriter for Encanto, Lin-Manuel Miranda, commented that he was surprised by this song's success, as he was under the impression that "Bruno" would be the least successful commercially.
Set in a village in Colombia, Encanto tells the story of the Madrigals, a family led by matriarch Alma, who are all given magical gifts at the age of five, except young protagonist Mirabel who appears to receive nothing. Navigating a family who all have special powers, Mirabel tries to remain helpful, but when their home Casita starts to crack, and the magic begins to fade, the young teen must step up to save her family. Since its release, Encanto has produced many fan theories and questions, with creator Jared Bush happily discussing his thoughts on social media. This includes the idea that the men who married into the family, Félix and Agustín, although magically powerless, have their own unique gifts that help the Madrigals.
Taking to Twitter once again for a Q&A session on the hit movie, Bush has confirmed that there was originally a scene where, after Mirabel runs away, her mother Julieta stood up to her mother Alma, publicly shaming her for her actions. Promoting an Encanto live immersive concert experience coming to LA's Hollywood Bowl, Bush opened the floor to those who had burning questions about the film, and the response to questions was incredibly positive, with many commenting that they would love to see a "Bush Cut" of the movie with all his original concepts and cut scenes kept in. Although the scene, which was brought up in answer to Aly Adachi's question, could have changed the way that Julieta was perceived, it would have been interesting to see how this would have played out, as Abuela was portrayed as the scolding boss of the Madrigals, and defying her may cause intense drama within the family hierarchy.
Check out the tweet about Alma being confronted by Julieta here:
Cutting This Scene Was Best For Abuela's Arc
After tragically losing her husband Pedro to marauders when their village was attacked, Alma carries a lot of unresolved trauma with her, trying to raise her three children, Bruno, Julieta, and Pepa, alone. While dealing with the pressure of this on top of keeping their miracle alive (the candle and sentient house she received due to her husband's sacrifice), Abuela Alma may be blind to the implications of her actions. By finally realizing the similarities between herself and her adventurous granddaughter Mirabel, Abuela alone can fix their relationship. With Mirabel potentially destined to become the new matriarch of the Madrigals, it makes sense that the reconciliation of their relationship shouldn't include any other family members; it's a personal matter between them.
Julieta blowing up at her mother could also conflict with her role within the Madrigal family and her character in Encanto. As the person who heals others with her recipes, Julieta remains the most nurturing of the family members, intending to fix the problems of those around her rather than causing more issues. Even at the moment when her mother and daughter are butting heads, Julieta is frantic to find Mirabel to help her fix the cracks in her broken relationship, and she will always remain the passive nonjudgmental person in these feuds as she may believe that adding fuel to the fire would not help. This may add more pressure on her daughters, though, as Julieta is potentially the original 'perfect child,' someone Alma wishes her grandchildren would take after.
Source: Twitter