A magical, musical Disney adventure

On Jul 28, 2021

The first trailer for Encanto, the latest animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios, is full of magic. The upcoming movie is set in a magical village in Colombia, and it focuses on the Madrigal family who each possess their own gifts, like shapeshifting, plant growth, or super-strength. Even the house is enchanted, dancing along to the beat of everyday life.

Well, everyone except for Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), that is, who, alone in her family, doesn’t have any special powers. Drama, presumably, ensues, although the first teaser isn’t too forthcoming as to what the actual story here is.

The film does look spectacular, though, with the Madrigal’s house, in particular, stealing the show with its vibrant colors and unique architecture. In Disney tradition, Encanto is also a musical, featuring songs by the EGOT-chasing Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Encanto is set to hit theaters on November 24, making it the first major animated film from Disney to not be released straight to Disney Plus since theaters first shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The studio has spent the last year and a half shifting almost all of its major animated releases from both Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar — including Soul, Luca, and Raya and the Last Dragon — either straight to its streaming service or with concurrent releases in both theaters and on Disney Plus. The Verge