As Disney’s newest animated feature Encanto continues to see success following its release on Disney+, one has to wonder what else is in store for the Madrigal family. During Disney’s Q1 earnings call last week, Disney CEO Bob Chapek described Encanto as a ”franchise.” So one could guess the studio has additional plans for the Madrigal’s.
While speaking with TheWrap, Encanto songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda has revealed that he envisions the world of Encanto at the Disney parks in some capacity and has even pitched his idea to Chapek on an attraction.
“I took my kids to Disneyland for the first time pre-pandemic a few years ago. And we sat through The Little Mermaid thing five times in a row. That’s where my brain goes. It’s like, I want to go in and out of this casita and see those characters and see the house respond because that’s something Disney can do that no one else can do. But yeah, in terms of the world of the characters, it’s really early days on that. I don’t know what that will be.”
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In response to CEO Bob Chapek referring to “Encanto” as a “franchise,” Miranda said he spoke to Chapek and said, “I know there’s a world in which this casita lives in a theme park and we get to actually walk through it in real life.” He also pointed out that there could be a second movie, TV series, or stage adaptation.
Although it underperformed at the box-office, grossing over $237 million worldwide against a $120–150 million budget, Encanto 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 Chartfor multiple weeks.
Encanto is directed by Jared Bush (co-director Zootopia) and Byron Howard (Zootopia, Tangled), co-directed by Charise Castro Smith (writer The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez), and produced by Yvett Merino, p.g.a. and Clark Spencer, p.g.a. Castro Smith and Bush are screenwriters on the film. Germaine Franco composed the original score. Walt Disney Animation Studios’.
The film tells the tale of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family who live in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. Each child has been blessed with a magic gift unique to them—each child except Mirabel. But when the family’s home is threatened, Mirabel may be their only hope. The voice cast also includes Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel; María Cecilia Botero as Mirabel’s grandmother Alma aka Abuela; John Leguizamo as Mirabel’s estranged Uncle Bruno; Angie Cepeda and Wilmer Valderrama as Mirabel’s parents, Julieta and Agustín; and Diane Guererro and Jessica Darrow as Mirabel’s sisters, Isabela and Luisa. Also lending their voices are Carolina Gaitán and Mauro Castillo as Mirabel’s aunt and uncle, Pepa, and Félix; and Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz and Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Mirabel’s cousins Dolores, Camilo, and Antonio, respectively.