Encanto (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Encanto |
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Theatrical release poster
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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 2021 American computer-animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 60th film produced by the studio, it was directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, co-directed by Charise Castro Smith, who co-wrote the screenplay with Bush, and produced by Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer, with original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The film stars the voices of Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo, Jessica Darrow, Angie Cepeda, Carolina Gaitán, Diane Guerrero, and Wilmer Valderrama. Encanto follows a multigenerational Colombian family, the Madrigals, led by a matriarch (Botero) whose children and grandchildren—except for Mirabel Madrigal (Beatriz)—receive magical gifts from a miracle that helps them serve the people in their rural community called the Encanto. When Mirabel learns that the family is losing their magic, she sets out to find out what is happening, and save her family and their magical house.
Encanto premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on November 3, 2021, and was released in the United States and Canadian theatres on November 24 over a 30-day theatrical run in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It grossed over $252 million worldwide against a $120–150 million budget, and achieved wider commercial success when released onto Disney+ on December 24, 2021. Its soundtrack went viral and reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and UK Compilation Albums charts; "We Don't Talk About Bruno" and "Surface Pressure" were two of its most successful songs, with the former topping both the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart for multiple weeks.
Upon release, Encanto received critical acclaim for its characterization, music, animation, voice acting, emotional depth, and cultural fidelity. Various reviews named magic realism and transgenerational trauma as the film's core concepts. Encanto has received several accolades, winning Best Animated Film category at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, the Producers Guild of America, and the National Board of Review. Additionally, at the 94th Academy Awards, the track "Dos Oruguitas" by Sebastián Yatra and the film's score were nominated for Best Original Song and Score, respectively.
Contents
Plot
An armed conflict forces Pedro and Alma Madrigal, a young married couple, to flee their home village in Colombia with their infant triplets Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno. The attackers kill Pedro, but Alma's candle magically repels them, creating Casita, a sentient house, for the family to live within an encanto, a magical realm bordered by high mountains.
Fifty years later, a new village thrives under the candle's protection and its magic grants "gifts" to each Madrigal descendant at the age of five which they use to serve the villagers. However, Bruno, vilified and scapegoated for his gift of seeing the future, disappeared ten years earlier, while Julieta's youngest daughter, 15-year-old Mirabel, had mysteriously received no gift (“The Family Madrigal”).
On the evening when 5-year-old Antonio gains the ability to communicate with animals, Mirabel, after expressing her feeling left out of the family (“Waiting on a Miracle”), suddenly sees the Casita cracking and the candle's flame flickering, but her warnings go unheeded when the Casita appears undamaged to the others. After overhearing Alma praying, Mirabel resolves to save the miracle's magic. The next day, she talks to her super-strong older sister Luisa, who confesses to feeling overwhelmed by her near-constant obligations (“Surface Pressure”) then suggests that Bruno's room, in a forbidden tower in the Casita, may explain the phenomenon. There, Mirabel discovers a cave and barely escapes it with some pieces of a slab of opaque emerald glass in hand. Outside, Luisa discovers that her gift is weakening. After her family reminds her why Bruno is vilified, Mirabel reassembles the glass, and sees a picture of the Casita cracking behind her (“We Don’t Talk About Bruno”).
Later that evening, Mirabel's oldest sister Isabela, who can make plants and flowers grow at will, is scheduled to become engaged to neighbor Mariano Guzmán. Amidst Mariano's proposal and an awkward dinner, Dolores, who possesses superhuman hearing, reveals Mirabel's discovery to everyone, causing the Casita to crack again, ruining the night and Mariano's proposal when the weather-controlling Pepa inadvertently conjures a downpour. Amidst the chaos, Mirabel follows a group of rats and discovers a secret passage behind a portrait where she finds Bruno who reveals he never left the house and that he broke the vision to save Mirabel. Using Antonio's room, Bruno reluctantly conjures another vision which initially resembles the previous one, along with Mirabel embracing Isabela.
Mirabel reluctantly apologizes to Isabela, who abruptly confesses that she does not want to marry Mariano and is burdened by her image of perfection. Mirabel helps Isabela develop her powers and the two embrace (“What Else Can I Do?”), but Alma sees the pair and accuses Mirabel of causing the family's misfortunes out of spite for not having a gift. Mirabel finally snaps at Alma for not deeming her good enough for the family, blaming her overbearing nature for weakening the family's magic. This argument creates a fissure that splits a nearby mountain and demolishes the Casita as the candle extinguishes, leaving the Madrigals powerless.
Several hours later, Alma finds a tearful Mirabel back at the river where Pedro died and explains her tragic backstory (“Dos Oruguitas”) and how, determined to preserve the magic, she ignored how her own expectations were harming the family and finally accepts responsibility for what happened. Mirabel and Alma reconcile and the two, with Bruno in tow, assemble the Madrigals to rebuild the Casita with the townsfolk joining in (“All of You”). Mirabel installs a new doorknob to the main door, restoring the family's gifts and reviving the Casita. She and Bruno join the family for another photo.
Voice cast
- Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel Madrigal: the 15-year-old, protagonist, who, unlike her family, does not have a special gift. Director Jared Bush described her as "imperfect and weird and quirky, but also deeply emotional and incredibly empathetic".
- Noemi Josefina Flores as 5-year-old Mirabel
- María Cecilia Botero as Abuela Alma Madrigal: Mirabel's 75-year-old grandmother and the family matriarch.
- Olga Merediz provides Alma's singing voice.
- Botero reprised her role in the Spanish-language dubbing of the film.
- Yaneth Waldman provides her singing voice in the Spanish-language dubbing.
- John Leguizamo as Bruno Madrigal: Mirabel's 50-year-old ostracized uncle who has the ability to see the future.
- Mauro Castillo as Félix Madrigal: Mirabel's uncle and Pepa's husband who balances her out. Bush stated that Félix is "just there to have a good time!".
- Castillo reprised his role in the Spanish-language dubbing of the film.
- Jessica Darrow as Luisa Madrigal: Mirabel's second oldest sister, who is 19. Co-writer Charise Castro Smith described Luisa as someone who "[carries] all the burdens and never [complains]". She has superhuman strength, but harbors anxiety about falling behind in her duties and letting her family down.
- Angie Cepeda as Julieta Madrigal: Mirabel's 50-year-old mother and Agustín's wife who can heal people with her cooking.
- Cepeda reprised her role in the Spanish and Italian-language dubbings of the film.
- Carolina Gaitán as Pepa Madrigal: Mirabel's 50-year-old aunt and Félix's wife whose mood controls the weather. She often creates rain and storms due to her strong emotions.
- Gaitán reprised her role in the Spanish-language dubbing of the film.
- Diane Guerrero as Isabela Madrigal: Mirabel's oldest sister, who is 21. Director Byron Howard described her as "perfect" and "a success". She can make flowers bloom everywhere, but secretly struggles to keep up her glamorous disposition.
- Wilmer Valderrama as Agustín Madrigal: Mirabel's 50-year-old father and Julieta's husband, who Bush described as "accident-prone".
- Rhenzy Feliz as Camilo Madrigal: Pepa and Félix's 15-year-old son, Dolores and Antonio's brother, and Mirabel's cousin who can shapeshift. Castro Smith stated that Camilo is someone who "doesn't quite know who they are yet".
- Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Antonio Madrigal: Pepa and Félix's youngest son, Dolores and Camilo's brother, and Mirabel's cousin, who looks up to her and considers her a big sister. He can speak to and understand animals, and is 5.
- Adassa as Dolores Madrigal: Pepa and Félix's oldest daughter, Camilo and Antonio's sister, and Mirabel's cousin, who has super-hearing. She is 21.
- Maluma as Mariano Guzman, Isabela's ex-fiancé and Dolores' boyfriend.
- Maluma reprised his role in the Spanish-language dubbing of the film.
- Rose Portillo as Señora Guzman, the mother of Mariano.
- Alyssa Bella Candiani, Noemi Josefina Flores, Paisley Herrera, Brooklyn Skylar Rodriguez, and Ezra Rudulph as the town kids
- Juan Castano as Osvaldo, a civilian who Bruno predicted would grow a gut.
- Sarah Nicole-Robles as Señora Ozma, a lady who asks Luisa to reroute the river.
- Hector Elias as Old Arturo
- Alan Tudyk as Pico, a toucan who Bush described as "clueless".
- Jorge E. Ruize Cano as Tiple Maestro
Animation
Encanto was the "hardest film" to date for heads of animation Renato dos Anjos and Kira Lehtomaki because they were asked to fully develop a dozen characters, as opposed to other animated films which primarily feature two or three characters out of a large cast. The animators were challenged by the directors to make Mirabel distinctively different from all prior Disney heroines; she had to be both capable and imperfect, but not merely just clumsy. The Casita was inspired not only by traditional Colombian homes but films in which houses come alive, especially Beetlejuice (1988).
The production team learned in their research that music, dance, and rhythm are core elements of everyday life in Colombia. As a result, Encanto was the first Disney Animation film to have choreographers involved in the development process from start to finish, meaning they worked closely with the production team to develop songs, characters, and story. This is in contrast to older films where the story was already in place by the time a choreographer was hired to consult on specific scenes. For Encanto, Disney Animation initially hired African-American choreographer Jamal Sims, who insisted on immediately hiring Colombian-American dancer Kai Martinez as the film's animation reference consultant. They worked together with a team of dancers to prepare choreography reference footage for each scene, and then gave feedback to the animators on scenes as they were animated. They developed different dance styles for different characters; Luisa's style is reggaeton, while Mirabel's style is Cali salsa.
For selection and animation of the plants and flowers that Isabela could make grow, the production team consulted with Colombian botanist Felipe Zapata. His advice allowed appropriate plants to be selected and then shown in accurate detail. The river of jacarandas and strangler figs and the cascade of sundew that Isabela produces are all based on this input. Plants in the background scenery are also realistic. These included the iconic, but now vulnerable wax palm and dramatic Cecropia trees. Economically important plants, like coffee, also appear.
Over 800 people, 108 of them animators, were involved in the production of Encanto. Disney Animation was planning to send many of its animators to Colombia starting on March 15, 2020 in preparation for the film's transition from development to production. This second research trip had to be cancelled after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The studio's animators ended up having to work remotely with the Colombian Cultural Trust; for example, Espinosa Uribe gave the animators a virtual tour of Colombia with the help of her cell phone. Guerrero sent the studio's designers photographs of Colombian food taken by her relatives in Colombia.
On June 22, 2020, Miranda confirmed on Good Morning America that he and Bush were working on an animated Disney film set in Colombia, with Bush and Byron Howard directing, and Charise Castro Smith co-directing.
On June 18, 2020, the tentative title was revealed to be Encanto. The project was also confirmed to be the film Miranda was involved in, and it was reported to be about a girl in a magical family. While initial reports had said the film would be set in Brazil, Miranda stated on June 22 that it would actually be set in Colombia. The same day, it was also reported that Castro Smith would be a co-director in addition to co-writing the screenplay. On December 10, 2020, the project was officially confirmed at a Disney Investor Day meeting, where a clip was shown, a fall 2021 release was announced, and magical realism was referenced. According to Bush, development of the film's script wrapped in August 2021, and production on the film wrapped a month later. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many crew members worked together remotely for over a year and did not meet each other in person until Disney put on a socially-distanced outdoor screening of the final version of the film.
Cinematography
Encanto is the first Disney Animation film since Tangled (2010) to employ a tall frame, a decision made to "get closer to the characters". This layout was supplemented by romanticism lighting. According to Howard, romantic (meaning heightened in spirit) is the film's key word in terms of the approach towards cinematography and lighting. The latter was also inspired by magic realism, due to the genre's heavy influence on the writing and characters. The directors aimed to use the film's optics to portray strong emotions; Alessandro Jacomini and Daniel Rice—directors of cinematography, lighting—stated this use "would amplify, exaggerate, and distort perception, which is very in line with Mirabel's point of view as a narrator". Her feelings of being left out were also shown using emotive lighting. The directors frequently reminded the crew of the emotional subtext of every scene as well as the intricacies of the individual parts. That subtext was applied by Warner, Jacomini, and Rice in elaborate sequences, such as the song "Surface Pressure".
Soundtrack
In June 2020, Miranda publicly revealed that he had begun to write the film's music, which would have eight original songs in both Spanish and English. After the film's premiere, he disclosed that he had been writing songs for the film from the very beginning. On September 8, 2021, Germaine Franco, co-composer of the songs for Coco (2017), began to score the film.
Encanto (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was released on November 19, 2021. A huge commercial success alike the film, the soundtrack reached number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming the first Disney soundtrack since that of Frozen II (2019) to top the chart. The track "We Don't Talk About Bruno" was a viral sensation. It broke various records and became one of Disney's most successful songs of all time. It topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, and marked Disney's first number-one song on the former in the 21st century and its first-ever on the latter. Encanto is the first Disney film to have produced a number-one song and a number-one album.
Release
Marketing
The first look of the film was shown on December 10, 2020, during Disney's Investor Day. The teaser trailer was released on July 8, 2021, which garnered acclaim from internet users due to Luisa's physical appearance, especially her muscles; she was dubbed the "Buff Lady". The official trailer was released on September 29, 2021. For its opening weekend at the box office, Disney spent $14 million on television advertisements to promote the film, generating 1.26 billion impressions. Deadline Hollywood said the marketing failed to distinguish the film from other Disney properties, causing audience members to believe that it would be similar to Coco. /Film was critical of Disney's merchandising, most of which featured Mirabel and Isabela. Many members of the Madrigal family could only be bought in more costly merchandise of the entire family. Since Isabela is considered the perfect and beautiful sister, the website stated the merchandise reinforces the idea that beauty is the most effective marketing tactic for young girls.
Theatrical
Disney held the film's world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on November 3, 2021, and also held a Colombia premiere at the Teatro Colón in Bogotá, Colombia on November 23, 2021. The film was theatrically released in the United States on November 24, 2021, in RealD 3D and Dolby Cinema. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film had an exclusive 30-day theatrical run before being released on Disney+ on December 24, 2021. The film was paired with the short film Far from the Tree. Encanto was released in China on January 7, 2022. On February 16, 2022, the film was re-released in cinemas after its success on Disney+ and Academy Award nominations.
Home media
Encanto was released on Disney+ on December 24, 2021, and was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray on February 8, 2022. Bonus features include "Let’s Talk About Bruno", "Our Casita", "Journey To Colombia", "Familia Lo Es Todo", "A Journey Through Music", and a sing-along version of the movie. Far from the Tree was also released alongside the film on streaming on physical media.
Since its Disney+ release, Encanto has consistently topped Nielsen’s weekly streaming chart, most recently with 1.224 billion total minutes of viewing.
Future
Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith have expressed that they are open to a potential Disney+ series. Bush said he would be happy to see a show about any member of the family, and Castro Smith shared that Miranda was very interested in creating a show about Dolores. Disney CEO Bob Chapek described Encanto as the company's latest franchise during a February 2022 earnings call.
Images for kids
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Lin-Manuel Miranda in 2019
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See also
In Spanish: Encanto (película) para niños
