Walt Disney Animation Studios took us to the magical mountains of Colombia this morning with its first look at Encanto starring the lovely Stephanie Beatriz, who lends her voice to the character of Mirabel in the titular charming place called an Encanto.
The Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal — except for 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 cast also includes María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Adassa, Diane Guerrero, Mauro Castillo, Angie Cepeda, Jessica Darrow, Rhenzy Feliz and Carolina Gaitan.
“Mirabel is a really funny, loving character who also deeply yearns for something more,” said Beatriz. “She’s also not afraid to stand up for what she knows is right—something I love and relate to very much.
The In The Heights star and Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum added, “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.”
As you heard, the colorful and wildly magical trailer includes an original song, “Colombia, Mi Encanto,” performed by Grammy winning singer, songwriter and actor Carlos Vives, a native of Santa Marta, Colombia. “This song is a celebration of the magical diversity of Colombia,” says Vives. “I can’t wait to see how the music will blend with the images and the characters inspired by the ‘encanto’ of Colombians.”
And our fave music man Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote brand new music for Encanto which is directed by Byron Howard (Zootopia, Tangled) and Jared Bush (co-director Zootopia), co-directed by Charise Castro Smith (writer The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez) and produced by Clark Spencer and Yvett Merino. Bush and Castro Smith are screenwriters on the film.
Encanto continues Disney’s journey to become more inclusive with their storytelling as the filmmakers were inspired by their research trip to Colombia during early development of Encanto, as well as their continuous work with a group of expert consultants assembled through the course of the film’s production. C’mon authenticity!
Encanto opens in theaters November 24. Check out the trailer above and posters below.
