Disney has released a trailer for its upcoming animated feature film Encanto, which means charm. The trailer teases a new fantastical and magical story that’s set in Columbia.
Encanto is written and directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush both of which previously worked on Zootopia. Charise Castro Smith (The Haunting of Hill House, Raya and the Last Dragon) will also be co-writing and co-directing.
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. 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. 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.”
The film features the voice of Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel, an ordinary 15-year-old who’s struggling to find her place in her family. Beatriz talked about her character saying, “Mirabel is a really funny, loving character who also deeply yearns for something more. She’s also not afraid to stand up for what she knows is right—something I love and relate to very much.”
She goes on to say, “I’m Colombian on my father’s side, and playing this role fills me with immense pride. 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.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Mary Poppins Returns, Hamilton) has written the music for the film ,and Clark Spencer (Ralph Breaks the Internet) and Yvett Merino Flores (Moana) have come on board to produce. The voice cast also includes María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Adassa, Diane Guerrero, Mauro Castillo, Angie Cepeda, Jessica Darrow, Rhenzy Feliz and Carolina Gaitan.
I always enjoy watching a good Disney film, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this story ends up playing out. The movie will be released on November 24th, 2021.
