Encanto

[estefan]

Really like this first glimpse of the movie, especially Marabel's design. The glasses are a nice touch and allow her to stand out a bit more from other Disney heroines.

[Farerb]

It's the first film since Winnie the Pooh that will be presented in 1.85 instead of 2.39.

[Clindor]

Mirabel's design. The glasses are a nice touch and allow her to stand out a bit more from other Disney heroines.

Yes! It's really a Disney design, while standing out from the same patterns they're been doing
(I'm so all for it!)

[D82]

More words by Stephanie Beatriz:

“I’m Colombian on my father’s side, and playing this role fills me with immense pride,” continues Beatriz. “As a Disney kid, I’d burn through my VHS tapes and adored every single magical story that the world of Disney introduced me to. I learned in those that stories that anything is possible, especially if you believe in magic and the goodness rooted deep inside us all.”

Source: https://chipandco.com/new-poster-and-tr ... to-436579/


The rest of the cast has also been announced:

The voice cast also includes María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Adassa, Diane Guerrero, Mauro Castillo, Angie Cepeda, Jessica Darrow, Rhenzy Feliz and Carolina Gaitan.

Source: https://chipandco.com/new-poster-and-tr ... to-436579/

[Farerb]

It is speculated that they are going to celebrate Little Candles Day in the movie:

From Wikipedia:

Little Candles Day is a widely observed traditional holiday in Colombia. It is celebrated on December 7 on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, which is a public holiday in Colombia. This day is the unofficial start of the Christmas season in the country.

On this night, people place candles and paper lanterns on windowsills, balconies, porches, sidewalks, streets, parks and squares; in short, everywhere they can be seen, in honor of the Virgin Mary and her Immaculate Conception. On December 8 it is customary for houses to hoist a white flag with the image of the Virgin Mary all day. They also hold numerous events, from firework shows to competitions.

[nomad2010]

It’s time Disney starts to experiment with their animation style. We’ve seen these characters a million times at this point. It really feels like they just take a rig of a previous character say “let’s give her a wider nose and some glasses and call it quits.” The concept is fun, but it just feels like it calls for some more highly styled animation. I just keep thinking Howl’s Moving Castle. And Luca. And Klaus. All of those have such a distinct visual language, and Disney just refuses to find their own. And honestly, it’s getting very boring.

As for the plot… this could either be really great or really mediocre. I like the idea of a film about a big family. I think that’s something we haven’t really seen before from Disney besides Meet the Robinsons. But the Sky High, Incredibles, Up Up and Away, “only one in the family to not have powers schtick is a little too overdone for my taste too. You’d think Disney would realize audiences want big lush adaptations of fairy tales. I don’t know how after Tangled and Frozen they’d start to get that picture.

[DisneyFan09]

Well, after seeing the teaser, I must say that I`m a little torn about it. I disliked it`s comedic approach (especially at the beginning where everything pops to the rhytm to the song). I liked the visuals and how it captures a Latin American flavor. Frankly, the movie looked a little like Coco at times. But I disliked the condescending attitude towards Mirabel (which is meant to be played for laughs, but really comes across as spiteful towards her). I liked the designs of the other side characters, but not the one of the capybara. But my biggest gripe with the teaser it`s that`s too short. It`s way too brief and fast-paced.

[estefan]

You’d think Disney would realize audiences want big lush adaptations of fairy tales. I don’t know how after Tangled and Frozen they’d start to get that picture.

I will probably get flack for saying this, but I actually admire Disney's restraint in that regard. Most studios would look at the massive success of Frozen and decide "hey, let's keep making a bunch of musical fairy tales." But they've largely avoided telling adaptations of classic stories since Frozen, with the exception of Gigantic, which was cancelled. Instead, there's been a shift towards making movies not based on pre-existing material, Big Hero 6 being the lone exception.

Jennifer Lee could decide to greenlight adaptations of classic stories in the future, but it seems like the artists and directors at Disney Animation are currently getting more inspiration either from a specific culture or a theme they want to explore rather than going to their local library or book store in search of an idea.

That doesn't mean I'm opposed to WDAS ever making adaptations again. I have long thought The Pied Piper would make a neat Disney animated feature. And I was one of those people disappointed that Gigantic was cancelled, as it looked really promising.

I think what's happening is the people at Disney Animation realise they're a strong, trusted brand with audiences again and are using the opportunity to bring more original stories into the world. And aren't people often complaining that Hollywood is out of original ideas (while still mostly supporting sequels and reboots at the box-office)?

[Disney's Divinity]

https://i.imgur.com/dF1hPrJ.jpg

This is the best shot of her face that we've seen so far. I don't know, even though this is better than the others, she looks like an elementary school teacher in this picture though.

It's a magical house, maybe it shape shifts...

I don't know if the house will shape shift, but it definitely is alive and will probably be like a character in the movie.

Yeah, that's a good point and a good idea! I hope it turns out to be the case. It would be kind of sad though if even the house is magical, but not Mirabel.

I will probably get flack for saying this, but I actually admire Disney's restraint in that regard. Most studios would look at the massive success of Frozen and decide "hey, let's keep making a bunch of musical fairy tales." But they've largely avoided telling adaptations of classic stories since Frozen, with the exception of Gigantic, which was cancelled. Instead, there's been a shift towards making movies not based on pre-existing material, Big Hero 6 being the lone exception.

Didn't you say the exact opposite of this barely 24 hours ago?

I'm loading the trailer right now. So far, yes, robster's probably right that the house is magical along with the inhabitants considering the way everything's moving at the beginning.

[Disney's Divinity]

Where is the girl who was in the yellow dress (who looked around the same age as Isabela and the others)? There's a couple dancing in yellow, but neither look like her. I love the grandmother's design as well as Isabela's. The parents will probably be interesting, maybe. The best comparison I can think of for Mirabel's design is Merida--that kind of design that looks great at certain moments and bland or outright bad at others.

Overall, looks cute... But hopefully there's a lot more to this story we're not seeing, something with some stakes.

[estefan]

I will probably get flack for saying this, but I actually admire Disney's restraint in that regard. Most studios would look at the massive success of Frozen and decide "hey, let's keep making a bunch of musical fairy tales." But they've largely avoided telling adaptations of classic stories since Frozen, with the exception of Gigantic, which was cancelled. Instead, there's been a shift towards making movies not based on pre-existing material, Big Hero 6 being the lone exception.

Didn't you say the exact opposite of this barely 24 hours ago?

The post referring to Zootopia in the Don Hall thread? That was more me saying that Disney has had recent successes in other types of animated movies beyond the fairy tale adaptations and responding to the idea that audiences are demanding fairy tale adaptations. If they only wanted fairy tale adaptations and those were the only movies proving to be massive successes for Disney Animation, there would be an argument for them continuing to make those.

However, I think WDAS has done well with producing a variety of projects rather than just trying to copy the success of Frozen or even Zootopia for that matter. They haven't done a new fairy tale adaptation since Frozen and they haven't made a movie centered on talking animals since Zootopia. That tells me the studio heads aren't looking at a movie that makes a billion dollars and saying "let's do that again" (sequels are a different matter, of course). In contrast to, say, the '90s where after "The Little Mermaid" was a success, most of the decade was spent making musical adaptations of classic stories with Alan Menken songs. And I say this as someone who loves many of those movies.

[Disney's Divinity]

Oh, okay. I'm just like, you were saying they should imitate their successes, and the princess films have been the most successful of the Revival with Zootopia being the sole exception. That said, I wouldn't want them to make only adaptations or fairy tales, but it has been a while now since there's been one. Frozen getting sequels makes it feel like it's been less time since, I suppose.

The thing is, other cultures have fairy tales and myths of their own that could be adapted. It's not like adaptation = story of White characters for it to be a barrier to diversity.

[D82]

Some more info about Mirabel and Antonio:

Mirabel, a kind and humble teenager who puts the ordinary in extraordinary, struggles to fit in a family that’s blessed with magical powers.

Source: https://photos.mouseinfo.com/Official-I ... /i-b4q5wd4

Antonio may be shy, but his huge heart is his biggest asset—rivaled only by his newly received magical ability to communicate with animals.

Source: https://photos.mouseinfo.com/Official-I ... /i-CbsPJxq


Also, it turns out the song heard in the trailer is an original composition written for the film by Colombian singer and songwriter Carlos Vives:

The new trailer includes an original song from the film, “Colombia, Mi Encanto,” performed by 17-time GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY winner, singer, songwriter and actor Carlos Vives, who’s a native of Santa Marta, Colombia. “This song is a celebration of the magical diversity of Colombia,” says Vives. “I can’t wait to see how the music will blend with the images and the characters inspired by the ‘encanto’ of Colombians.”

Source: https://chipandco.com/new-poster-and-tr ... to-436579/

This is the best shot of her face that we've seen so far. I don't know, even though this is better than the others, she looks like an elementary school teacher in this picture though.

She does, but I like that. Speaking of that, she's always shown surrounded by children. I wonder if she'll discover that her "special gift" is being a teacher.

Yeah, that's a good point and a good idea! I hope it turns out to be the case. It would be kind of sad though if even the house is magical, but not Mirabel.

I like that the house is alive too.

Where is the girl who was in the yellow dress (who looked around the same age as Isabela and the others)? There's a couple dancing in yellow, but neither look like her. I love the grandmother's design as well as Isabela's. The parents will probably be interesting, maybe.

Are you referring to this character? I think she's most likely Mirabel's aunt and the mother of Antonio and probably the girl with a red ribbon in her hair, who is below her in the poster.



By the way, Mirabel's parents were completely absent from the trailer, weren't they? I wonder why.

The best comparison I can think of for Mirabel's design is Merida--that kind of design that looks great at certain moments and bland or outright bad at others.

I think they probably decided to give her an "average girl" design to highlight the fact that, unlike the rest of her family, she's just a normal girl with no powers. Personally, I think it's a good idea. Plus, female Disney leads have always been "perfect and pretty", while male ones have been much more varied. It was about time this changed. Also, I think they gave Isabela a more "princessy" design to compensate for this (and to sell dolls, of course).

[Disney's Divinity]

Speaking of that, she's always shown surrounded by children. I wonder if she'll discover that her "special gift" is being a teacher.

That may be. I have this theory. I know I discussed with someone in the Raya thread how much Raya seemed inspired by Kingdom Hearts in different ways--probably because people at the studio actually interacted with Square Enix during the making of Kingdom Hearts 3 unlike past titles. Well, about how I'd said before that her dress reminded me of the Dream Eaters... Perhaps her power is something in that vein--Dream Eaters help to protect from Nightmares. Perhaps her "power" is one that helps other people realize their dreams in some sort of way? Help them identify it or cultivate it somehow? And that kind of power would go along with being a teacher.

Are you referring to this character?

I guess it is her. But her skin's so much lighter than that.Yeah, Mirabel's parents weren't in the trailer from what I could see, I was going by the portraits of them together in that first poster. Sorry, that was probably confusing.

From what I remember, much of Moana's marketing was about giving her a realistic body size. I don't mind variety in that way, although I still feel she (EDIT: she as in Mirabel, not Moana--I liked Moana's design) looks too goofy for the princess line. I was resistant to Vanellope being part of the line for that reason, although I do like the concept of the Wrecked Princesses as its own thing. IDk though, I can kind of picture her in it more I think of it, especially when they have her in 2D like they do Rapunzel in some of the recent images posted in the DP thread. I like that they picked a color that hadn't been used before for her outfit.

[D82]

I have this theory. I know I discussed with someone in the Raya thread how much Raya seemed inspired by Kingdom Hearts in different ways--probably because people at the studio actually interacted with Square Enix during the making of Kingdom Hearts 3 unlike past titles. Well, about how I'd said before that her dress reminded me of the Dream Eaters... Perhaps her power is something in that vein--Dream Eaters help to protect from Nightmares. Perhaps her "power" is one that helps other people realize their dreams in some sort of way? Help them identify it or cultivate it somehow? And that kind of power would go along with being a teacher.

If she ends up having a power, I also think it'll be something like what you said. The caption for Antonio's still says he has just received his magical ability, so maybe it's possible Mirabel hasn't discover hers yet.

I guess it is her. But her skin's so much lighter than that.Yeah, Mirabel's parents weren't in the trailer from what I could see, I was going by the portraits of them together in that first poster. Sorry, that was probably confusing.

Oh, no. It wasn't confusing. I understood you were talking of them because of the portraits. And you're right; the skin of that character looks lighter now, but the outfit and hair are similar and she also seems to be controlling the weather in the poster, so I think it has to be the same character.

[Disney's Divinity]

Yeah, I agree, you're right.

[blackcauldron85]

I LOVE THIS! I love the colors and the music. I agree that it was a little offputting (?) that Mirabel kept being reminded by that relative that she's the one without the gift, but maybe it's just that one relative that keeps mentioning it... I love Mirabel already- she's the "regular" girl that we need!! (And I love Antonio too- animal power!!!! <3)

Oh, I meant to add: Maybe earlier in the film we see the kids as small children? (But with the voice actress, we knew that she wouldn't sound like a 10-year-old, right?)

[Elladorine]

These two

They can be derpy together!

But seriously, it’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited for a Disney movie based on the teaser alone. I really, really wanted to like Raya, but felt very meh about the previews and also felt meh when I finally caught the film (as opposed to, say … Zootopia, where I was meh about the trailers but ended up loving the actual movie).

Who knows, maybe I’ll be meh about the movie once I see it, but I’m already loving the atmosphere. Heh, and with that hairstyle and those glasses? She reminds me very much of my awkward 14-year-old self!

[D82]

Some more info about the cast:

• Colombian actress María Cecilia Botero voices grandmother Madrigal. She talks about her character and her casting process in an interview in Spanish:

In dialogue with La FM, María Cecilia Botero said that being able to participate in an animated Disney film represents a wonderful honor that she never imagined having.

"I had received an invitation a long time ago and at the beginning of this year the invitation came back to me again, so she decided to give me the opportunity to send my voice as requested by the brand. After a couple of days they notified me that they liked it and then I became Grandma Madrigal.

The renowned Colombian actress acknowledged that being in this film made it possible to fulfill a dream that almost all people have inside, because "when we are little we all want to be in Disney in some way, because it is a wonderful universe and we carry that inside".

"When they want to make a movie inspired by the charm of Colombia and they call me, I felt super happy and very proud because I was able to participate in a beautiful Disney movie and even though the voice is in English, I feel it was great," she added.

Botero pointed out that this participation also represents a 'check' in the things that she had yet to do throughout her acting career. "Now I am very happy and eager to see the movie."

The actress clarified that it was also a surprise for her to see the first images of the film, because despite her collaboration in the production, she has been learning about new details of the film at the same time as the public.

"Disney has an encryption of the information and all this time we could not mention the issue due to the confidentiality that is handled, they do that with all their tapes and they are releasing little by little to keep us interested in the premiere," she added.

María Cecilia Botero explained that in Madrigal, she wanted to convey the unconditional and unique love that a grandmother feels for her grandchildren, which is much freer than she has for her children.

"I think I contributed to the theme of the emotion of the grandchildren, but then there is not much of my own grandmothers in this character, except in the memory of the affection that a grandmother provides," she added.

Botero said that when her grandmother told her something, she gave a caress, it conveyed a feeling different from any story or other caress, "I wanted to offer that element to grandmother Madrigal, that genuine affection and a freer love than is felt for the children".

Source: https://www.lafm.com.co/entretenimiento ... -de-disney


• Colombian actress Carolina Gaitán is aunt Pepa, whose power is to control the weather. She also speaks about her character in a new interview:

“The film manages to portray the magical, romantic, diverse Colombia. It is very nice to see that we have something like this to show as a country, beyond the already known stories of drug traffickers,” the actress mentions.

Regarding the film's production process, Carolina details that it was a two-year process from the initial casting to the recordings and intense days seeking to find the meaning of each character. In addition, she adds, the Disney team carried out an exhaustive fieldwork in the country knowing each of the regions mentioned in the film.

That interest in knowing the country and what it means to be Colombian was noticed even at the time of the casting, according to the actress. "I had prepared all my repertoire of productions and aspects of my career that I wanted to mention and a large part of the casting was focused on knowing about how I grew up, what my family was like, what my childhood was like."

In addition to playing ‘Pepa’, Carolina is also in charge of the character's voice when singing. From the hand of the composer Lin Manuel Miranda, recognized by great productions such as Hamilton and Moana, the actress had to learn to sing in the best Disney style. “Working with such great people, that you admire, has been incredible. I grew up watching Disney, I know all their movies and this is basically a dream come true, ” she says.

Source: https://forbes.co/2021/07/08/forbes-lif ... u-reparto/


• Colombian actor Mauro Castillo voices Félix, who according to him is one of the main characters of the movie. Since the actor is Afro-Latino, I guess his character is most likely aunt Pepa's husband.


• American actor of Dominican descent Rhenzy Feliz plays Camilo. He's 23 years old, so he's probably too old to be voicing the Afro-Latino kid. I guess Antonio and Camilo are two separate characters after all.


• Singer-songwriter of Afro-Colombian descent Adassa seems to be voicing this character.

[BK]

I actually dig the trailer but, when are they going to get new directors?

Of course Pixar had the same directors for a long time and are arguably still having growing pains, but no reason for Disney to follow the same path.

Guess it doesn't help all the princesses, for lack of a better descriptor, all pretty much look the same. And besides Zootopia, all of them seem to take place in the same universe.

This is why I always hope for success for other studios as well, so that diversity in storytelling is maintained somehow. Not sure what will be taking the place of Blue Sky, but hopefully there'll be another.