It's only been a few months since Walt Disney Animation Studios last big release, but we won't have to wait too long for the next one, as Encanto is set to open this Thanksgiving. Previously, we'd been given a brief description of what the movie will be about, and the knowledge that it would see the return to Disney of Lin-Manuel Miranda, who would be handling the film's songs. Today we got our first real look at what Encanto will look like with its first trailer. And it looks, well, magical.
The trailer introduces us to the Madrigal family who live in Columbia in a place that is full of magic. Each member of the family has their own magical gifts. We see one woman with super strength, a boy who can communicate with animals, and somebody else capable of shapeshifting. Unfortunately, one member of the family Mirabel, has no magical abilities at all. While the new trailer keeps the specifics of the plot at bay, we know Mirabel will be the focus of the story.
The trailer also includes one of the new songs for Encanto written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the background of the trailer you can hear the song titled, “Colombia, Mi Encanto.” It gives the whole trailer a fun energy that makes this movie that much more worth looking forward to.
There's not a lot in the short teaser to even give us much of an idea what the movie will be about, beyond focusing on Mirabel's lack of magic. There's clearly a party being thrown here, and there is a large mysterious tree that may be important, but exactly how is anybody's guess. We also see a woman holding a candle, and a candle image was also prominently featured on a new poster, so that means something, but we can't really know what without more context. Although, after looking at that tree, I'm fully expecting that when it comes time for Encanto to be promoted in the Disney Parks, the Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom will be the focal point of efforts.
Disney's last animated musical, Moana, was able to transport viewers to another place and that's largely thanks to the music. A great deal of care was taken to make the music authentic and that really helped the film. With one of the writers of that music, Lin-Manuel Miranda, working on Encanto, one hopes that we'll all get the same feeling of traveling to another place and feeling like we're part of it.
Encanto is directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush, the team behind Disney's hit Zootopia, so they have a lot to live up to here. Mirabel is voiced by Stephanie Beatriz. Encanto is set to open November 22.
