Encanto (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Encanto |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by |
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| Music by | Germaine Franco |
| Cinematography |
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| Editing by | Jeremy Milton |
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| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| Release date(s) | November 3, 2021 (El Capitan Theatre) November 24, 2021 (United States) |
| Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
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| Budget | $120–150 million |
| Money made | $252.4 million |
Encanto is a fun computer-animated musical fantasy comedy film from 2021. It was made by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. This movie is the 60th film made by Disney Animation.
It was directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, with Charise Castro Smith as co-director. She also helped write the story with Bush. The film features amazing original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The movie has a great voice cast, including Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, and John Leguizamo. Encanto tells the story of the Madrigal family, who live in Colombia. They are led by their grandmother, Alma.
Almost everyone in the family gets a special magical gift when they turn five. These gifts help them serve their community in a magical place called the Encanto. But Mirabel Madrigal (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) is the only one who doesn't get a gift.
When Mirabel discovers that the family's magic is fading, she bravely tries to find out why. She wants to save her family and their amazing magical house.
Encanto first showed at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on November 3, 2021. It came out in U.S. and Canadian theaters on November 24. The movie was a big hit when it was released on Disney+ on December 24, 2021.
The film's soundtrack became super popular. Songs like "We Don't Talk About Bruno" and "Surface Pressure" were huge successes. "We Don't Talk About Bruno" even reached number one on music charts in the U.S. and UK!
Critics loved Encanto for its characters, music, animation, and how it showed Colombian culture. The movie won many awards, including Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the BAFTAs.
Contents
The Madrigal Family Story
The story begins with Pedro and Alma Madrigal, a young couple in Colombia. They are forced to leave their home with their baby triplets, Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno, because of a conflict. Pedro is lost, but Alma's special candle magically protects her and her children. This candle creates Casita, a magical, living house, in a hidden, magical place called the encanto.
Fifty years later, a lively village has grown under the candle's protection. The candle's magic gives a special "gift" to each Madrigal child when they turn five. These gifts help the family serve the villagers. However, Bruno, who can see the future, disappeared ten years ago. He was often blamed for his visions. Mirabel, Julieta's youngest daughter, never received a gift.
Mirabel's Discovery
On the night her 5-year-old cousin Antonio gets the gift to talk to animals, Mirabel feels left out. She sings about her feelings in "Waiting on a Miracle". Suddenly, she sees the Casita cracking and the candle's flame flickering. But when she tells her family, the house looks fine to them.
Mirabel overhears Alma praying and decides to save the family's magic. The next day, she talks to her super-strong older sister Luisa. Luisa admits she feels stressed by her many duties in the song "Surface Pressure". She suggests that Bruno's old room might hold clues.
Mirabel goes into Bruno's forbidden tower in the Casita. She finds a cave and barely escapes with pieces of a glowing green glass slab. Outside, Luisa realizes her super strength is weakening. Mirabel puts the glass pieces together. She sees a vision of the Casita cracking behind her, which is shown in the song "We Don't Talk About Bruno".
Unraveling the Mystery
Later that evening, Mirabel's oldest sister Isabela, who can make plants and flowers grow, is supposed to get engaged to Mariano Guzmán. During dinner, Dolores, who has super hearing, tells everyone about Mirabel's vision. This causes the Casita to crack again. Pepa, whose mood controls the weather, accidentally creates a downpour, ruining the proposal.
Amidst the chaos, Mirabel follows some rats and finds a secret passage. There, she finds Bruno, who reveals he never left the house. He explains he broke his vision to protect Mirabel. Using Antonio's room, Bruno reluctantly shows another vision. It looks like the first one, but also shows Mirabel embracing Isabela.
Mirabel apologizes to Isabela. Isabela then admits she doesn't want to marry Mariano and feels pressured to be perfect. Mirabel helps Isabela use her powers in new ways, and they embrace ("What Else Can I Do?"). But Alma sees them and blames Mirabel for the family's problems.
Mirabel finally tells Alma that her high expectations are hurting the family and weakening their magic. This argument causes a huge crack that splits a mountain and destroys the Casita. The candle's flame goes out, and the Madrigals lose their gifts.
Rebuilding the Casita and Family
Hours later, Alma finds a sad Mirabel by the river where Pedro died. Alma explains her own difficult past ("Dos Oruguitas"). She realizes that in her effort to keep the magic safe, she didn't see how her expectations were harming the family. Alma takes responsibility for what happened.
Mirabel and Alma make up. They, along with Bruno, gather the Madrigals to rebuild the Casita. The villagers also come to help ("All of You"). Mirabel puts a new doorknob on the main door. This brings back the family's gifts and revives the Casita! Mirabel and Bruno then join the family for a new photo.
Meet the Voice Cast
- Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel Madrigal: The 15-year-old main character. She is unique and kind, and the only one in her family without a special gift.
- Noemi Josefina Flores as 5-year-old Mirabel.
- María Cecilia Botero as Abuela Alma Madrigal: Mirabel's 75-year-old grandmother and the leader of the family.
- Olga Merediz sings for Alma.
- John Leguizamo as Bruno Madrigal: Mirabel's 50-year-old uncle. He can see the future but has been away from the family.
- Mauro Castillo as Félix Madrigal: Mirabel's uncle and Pepa's husband. He is fun-loving and helps balance Pepa's emotions.
- Jessica Darrow as Luisa Madrigal: Mirabel's 19-year-old sister. She has super strength but worries about letting her family down.
- Angie Cepeda as Julieta Madrigal: Mirabel's 50-year-old mother. She can heal people with her cooking.
- Carolina Gaitán as Pepa Madrigal: Mirabel's 50-year-old aunt. Her mood controls the weather, often causing rain when she's upset.
- Diane Guerrero as Isabela Madrigal: Mirabel's 21-year-old oldest sister. She can make beautiful flowers grow but secretly feels pressured to be perfect.
- Wilmer Valderrama as Agustín Madrigal: Mirabel's 50-year-old father. He is a bit clumsy.
- Rhenzy Feliz as Camilo Madrigal: Pepa and Félix's 15-year-old son. He can shapeshift and is still figuring out who he is.
- Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Antonio Madrigal: Pepa and Félix's youngest son, age 5. He looks up to Mirabel and can talk to animals.
- Adassa as Dolores Madrigal: Pepa and Félix's 21-year-old daughter. She has super-hearing.
- Maluma as Mariano Guzman: Isabela's ex-fiancé and Dolores' boyfriend.
- Alan Tudyk as Pico: A toucan bird.
How Encanto Was Made
Making Encanto was a big challenge for the animation team. They had to create many detailed characters. The directors wanted Mirabel to be different from other Disney heroines. She needed to be capable and a bit imperfect, not just clumsy. The magical Casita was inspired by traditional Colombian homes and movies where houses come alive.
Animation and Dance
The production team learned that music, dance, and rhythm are very important in Colombia. So, Encanto was the first Disney Animation film to have choreographers involved from the very beginning. They worked closely with the team to develop songs, characters, and the story.
Choreographer Jamal Sims and Colombian-American dancer Kai Martinez helped create dance moves for each scene. They also gave feedback to the animators. Different characters have different dance styles. For example, Luisa's style is reggaeton, and Mirabel's is Cali salsa.
Plants and Scenery
For the plants and flowers that Isabela could make grow, the team worked with a Colombian botanist named Felipe Zapata. His advice helped them choose and show real plants in detail. The beautiful river of jacarandas and strangler figs that Isabela creates are based on his input. Even the background scenery has realistic plants like the tall wax palm trees.
Over 800 people, including 108 animators, worked on Encanto. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many crew members worked from home. They used video calls and photos from relatives in Colombia to make sure everything looked authentic.
The Film's Look and Feel
Encanto is the first Disney Animation film since Tangled (2010) to use a "tall frame" for its visuals. This helped the audience feel closer to the characters. The lighting in the film was also very special. It was inspired by "magic realism," which means it made emotions look even stronger and more magical.
The directors wanted the film's visuals to show strong feelings. For example, Mirabel's feelings of being left out were shown using special lighting. The team worked hard to make sure every scene, like the song "Surface Pressure", showed the characters' emotions clearly.
The Amazing Soundtrack
Lin-Manuel Miranda started writing the music for Encanto early on. He created eight original songs in both Spanish and English. Germaine Franco, who also worked on the music for Coco, composed the film's score.
The Encanto (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was released on November 19, 2021. It was a huge success, just like the movie! The soundtrack reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. It was the first Disney soundtrack to do this since Frozen II (2019).
The song "We Don't Talk About Bruno" became a viral sensation. It broke many records and became one of Disney's most successful songs ever. It topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. Encanto is the first Disney film to have both a number-one song and a number-one album!
Release and Success
How it was Promoted
The first look at Encanto was shown on December 10, 2020. A short teaser trailer came out on July 8, 2021. Fans especially loved Luisa's strong appearance, calling her the "Buff Lady." The official trailer was released on September 29, 2021.
When and Where it was Released
The film had its first showing at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on November 3, 2021. It also had a special showing in Bogotá, Colombia, on November 23, 2021. Encanto was released in U.S. theaters on November 24, 2021. It was shown in RealD 3D and Dolby Cinema.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the movie played in theaters for 30 days. Then, it was released on Disney+ on December 24, 2021. Encanto was shown with a short film called Far from the Tree. After its big success on Disney+ and its Academy Award nominations, the film was re-released in cinemas on February 16, 2022.
Watching at Home
Encanto became available on Disney+ on December 24, 2021. It was also released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray on February 8, 2022. These home versions included fun bonus features like "Let’s Talk About Bruno" and "Our Casita." A sing-along version of the movie was also included.
Since its release on Disney+, Encanto has been very popular. It has often been the most-watched movie on streaming charts.
What's Next for Encanto?
The creators, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith, have said they are open to making a TV series for Disney+. Bush would be happy to see a show about any member of the Madrigal family. Castro Smith mentioned that Lin-Manuel Miranda is very interested in creating a show about Dolores. Disney CEO Bob Chapek has even called Encanto one of the company's newest big franchises.
Images for kids
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Lin-Manuel Miranda in 2019, who wrote the songs for Encanto.
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See also
In Spanish: Encanto (película) para niños
