Disney’s Encanto
By Erin
Disney’s 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 (voice of 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. The film is directed by Jared Bush (co-director “Zootopia”) and Byron Howard (“Zootopia,” “Tangled”), co-directed by Charise Castro Smith (writer “The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez”), and produced by Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer; the screenplay is by Castro Smith and Bush. “Encanto” features original songs by Emmy®, GRAMMY® and Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”); Germaine Franco (“Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” “Little,” “Tag”) composed the original score.
John Leguizamo lends his voice to Bruno in the film. The character, who’s gifted with the ability to see the future, has made honest but often pessimistic predictions that have proved problematic for the family, so he disappeared, becoming the uncle nobody talks about—unless, of course, somebody talks about Bruno—in song. Every family has stories you’re not allowed to talk about— that are not to be mentioned ever. The more forbidden something is, the more you want to talk about it, right? 😉
In the Madrigal family, each family member goes through a unique experience at the age of five: they’re each granted a special power tied to their personality. Isabela, the favorite, makes flowers bloom wherever she goes; Luisa, the rock of the family, has strength like The Hulk. The story centers on 15-year-old Mirabel, the only one who wasn’t bestowed with a magical gift. According to co-writer and director Jared Bush, the goal with each character was to create a familiar familial archetype first, and then figure out what power suited them best.
Here are some fun facts about the film:
- “Encanto” reunites filmmakers Byron Howard (director), Jared Bush (co-director/co-writer) Clark Spencer (producer) of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 2016 Oscar®-winning feature film “Zootopia.”
- Original song, “Colombia, Mi Encanto,” is performed by 17-time GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winner, singer, songwriter and actor Carlos Vives.
- Germaine Franco (“Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” “Little,” “Tag”), who co-wrote songs including “Un Poco Loco” and “Proud Corazón” for Disney and Pixar’s “Coco,” is composing the score for “Encanto.”
- Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jared Bush also worked together on Disney Animation’s “Moana.” The “Moana” Original Motion Picture Soundtrack set a new record in August 2021 for weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s soundtrack chart – hitting No. 1 on 52 occasions since its release on Nov. 18, 2016. (It hit 58 weeks at No. 1 as of the week of Oct. 2, 2021).
- Set in Colombia, the film embraces the diversity, culture, people and music of the country. Filmmakers were deeply inspired following their research trip, and “Encanto” was made in collaboration with the Colombian Cultural Trust, a group of experts in Colombian cultures, anthropology, botany, music, language and architecture. Familia, a group of Latinx Disney Animation employees also shared their personal perspectives and experiences to help shape the film.
Encanto truly embraces and captures the beauty, diversity, culture, music and people of Colombia. This is one you won’t want to miss and must take the whole family to!
