This November, Walt Disney Animation Studios will release Encanto, the latest animated feature in the company's long line of classics. Although fans of the "House of Mouse" are eagerly anticipating its release, the project has been largely under wraps to surprise the audience upon its opening.
There are still multiple details that have been released though regarding the premise, the creative team behind the picture, and the look of the film. Trailers have also been advertised for Encanto but the Walt Disney Company hasn't revealed some of the more intricate information regarding the movie.
The Premise
The basic concept surrounding Encanto sees the Madrigal family living in an enchanted house. Magic lays around every corner and each member of the family is blessed with a specific gift, whether it's the power to heal, have great strength, or possess the ability to communicate with animals.
Of course, the Disney film will follow the underdog Mirabel, who finds herself without any special skills to speak of. Feeling left out and powerless, the family will be forced to turn to Mirabel when their beloved house begins to collapse, causing them to lose their unique talents.
The Music
Disney is well known for their musical pictures and although in recent years they've experimented with must-see non-musical productions such as Zootopia and Raya and th Last Dragon, Encanto will stick to the familiar formula the company built their legacy around.
After the success of Sony's Vivo and Disney's Moana, the talented Lin-Manuel Miranda is returning to the latter company to write more songs. With the performer also getting a writing credit on the piece, Miranda is working alongside Germaine Franco who helped to produce the composition on Coco. No songs have been released from the soundtrack at this time of writing.
The Setting
Disney has traveled across the globe countless times with their productions, sometimes featuring places only the imagination can see while drawing inspiration from real-life locations for other projects. Encanto manages to combine a little bit of both.
The film is actually set in Colombia, which is the first time Disney has produced a movie with this backdrop. The magical house and surrounding areas are more fictionalized in nature, but Encanto promises to be an accurate reflection of the country with producer Clark Spencer noting that the Colombia Cultural Trust was a crucial part of the filmmaking process.
The Writers
Although Lin-Manuel Miranda has a writing credit thanks to the narrative significance of the songs he wrote, two other names have been attached to the screenplay of the project. Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith were also responsible for the story beats.
Jared Bush brings his vast knowledge of animation writing to the table, with the artist having previously worked on the likes of the hugely rewatchable Zootopia and Moana, once again forming that connection with Miranda. Charis Castro Smith comes from both a producing and writing background, bringing horror fuelled fantastical elements from the likes of The Exorcist TV show and The Haunting of Hill House.
The Directors
While they may be writing on the feature, both Jared Bush and Charis Castro Smith also boast co-director credits on the project as well. Bush had also directed Zootopia which only adds to his experience while this will actually be Smith's first credit as a director.
Joining the duo is Byron Howard who also has a co-director credit. Howard has worked within Disney's animation department for many years, adding countless hits to his filmography including Bolt, Tangled, Zootopia, and the short Tangled Ever After. His own experiences will be invaluable in forming a cohesive product within the musical genre.
The Cast
Encanto also features an incredibly well-rounded and talented cast. In the lead, voicing Mirabel, is Stephanie Beatriz who fans will recognize from Brooklyn Nine-Nine or most recently in the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical In The Heights. The actor stated that she felt immense pride in getting to play the role.
The rest of the cast includes María Cecilia Botero (Undercover Law) as Abuela Alma, John Leguizamo (John Wick: Chapter 2) as Bruno, Diane Guerrero (Doom Patrol) as Isabela, Jessica Darrow (Following Hannah Stone) as Luisa, Ravi Cabot-Conyers (#BlackAF) as Antonio, Angie Cepeda (Halo) as Julieta, Wilmer Valderrama (Onward) as Augustín, Carolina Gaitan (Narcos) as Pepa, Mauro Castillo (El Joe) as Félix, the singer Adassa as Dolores, and Rhenzy Feliz (Runaways) as Camilo.
The Animation Style
Disney perfected the art of 2D animation, winning countless Oscars through their work in the medium. While they have returned to the style for projects like The Princess and the Frog, Encanto will continue to use the more modern 3D animation techniques which are created through CGI rendering systems.
Some of the best Disney films in recent years have used this style, and the trailers indicate that this may be one of Disney's most vibrant productions yet. The medium in which this film is being created is crucial for the musical aspect of the piece. Bryon Howard said that “What's really interesting is that music, dance, movement, all overlap in a really unusual way. When you hear our Columbian dance captain talk to the animators, she sounds like an animation mentor."
The Release Strategy
Disney has been quite experimental in recent months with how they are releasing their productions. Due to the ongoing global situation, some of the company's projects have been released straight on Disney+, or at the very least on Premium Access.
For Encanto though, Disney is aiming for a full cinematic run across the world. This means that the film won't actually be making its way to streaming services for quite some time, with the company honoring a more traditional format of releasing their projects.
The Release Date
Encanto is largely releasing in three waves across the world. The process starts on November 24th, 2021 where Brazil, Germany, France, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, and the USA and UK will be getting to enjoy the spectacular musical.
Argentina, Australia, Hungary, Cambodia, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, and Ukraine will get to see the film on the 25th while the 26th sees the release of Encanto in territories like Spain, Finland, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, and Turkey. With this November date set, a DVD or streaming date will likely be marked sometime around March or April the following year.