Encanto

[D82]

According to Wikipedia:

Mirabel is a female name stemming from the Latin word mirabilis, meaning "wondrous" or "of wondrous beauty". It was used as both a male and female name in the Middle Ages, but is now almost exclusively female.

A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition of the Renaissance (15th–16th c.) and early Baroque (1600–1750) eras.

Thanks for posting the definitions. By the way, Lin-Manuel Miranda has mentioned Encanto in some interviews lately:

For the Disney animated musical, the Colombia-set Encanto, Miranda says, "It's been so exciting because with Moana it was the joy of my life but I was the last guy hired. And with this I've been in on the ground floor. To be in on the development of an original Disney musical is such a thrill."

Source: https://ew.com/tv/his-dark-materials-li ... chronicle/

For the time being, Miranda is getting on with various writing projects. These include an animated film musical, Vivo, for which he has written original songs, and another animated film project, Encanto, for Disney, about a girl in Latin America who is the only member of her family without magical powers. Both are due to splash down in 2021. “I fell in love with musicals because The Little Mermaid blew my mind,” he tells me.

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2020/10/ ... haracters/

"I'm currently writing two animated musicals: one for Sony Pictures (Vivo) and another for Disney (Encanto), both with Latin themes that will be opening next year or the year after", he said.

Source: https://www.elsoldemexico.com.mx/gossip ... 07397.html

[Sotiris]

The name and surname together are a bit of a tongue twister.

I agree which is why I don't really like it. The fact she even has a last name makes me believe the film will be set in modern times. I'm also not that fond of the first name Mirabel. I don't like that it contains in itself two names of other Disney characters; Mira from Mira: Royal Detective and Belle from Beauty and the Beast. It makes it sound less unique to me. It's also too similar to the more common name, Maribel. I bet people will end up confusing the two.

Mirabel is a female name stemming from the Latin word mirabilis, meaning "wondrous" or "of wondrous beauty". It was used as both a male and female name in the Middle Ages, but is now almost exclusively female.

The name is associated with the mirabelle plum tree and the mirabilis plant. The flower's best known species, mirabilis jalapa, is native to South America, so there might be a connection there.

For the Disney animated musical, the Colombia-set Encanto, Miranda says, "It's been so exciting because with Moana it was the joy of my life but I was the last guy hired. And with this I've been in on the ground floor. To be in on the development of an original Disney musical is such a thrill."

Hmm. I wasn't aware he wasn't involved much with Moana in terms of storytelling (maybe that's why it turned out decent? ) We'll see how Encanto pans out now that he's intimately involved with a WDAS project and developed it from the ground up.

There are three things that I need from this movie: 1) the female lead is a late teenager/young adult and not a kid, 2) she has an appealing, naturalistic, Disney-eque design, 3) the film is a period piece and not set in modern times. Everything else, I can tolerate, but I need those three to be on board with this project.

[Farerb]

Is The Little Mermaid coming out in 2021 as well? Does Miranda really want to compete with himself in the Best Original Song category?

[Sotiris]

Is The Little Mermaid coming out in 2021 as well?

Most likely not. It will begin shooting in early 2021 and it needs too much VFX for it to be ready by the end of the year. 2022 at the earliest, I wager.

[D82]

The fact she even has a last name makes me believe the film will be set in modern times.

That's a good observation. Usually, characters from films set in the past aren't given surnames. However, in this case since the film's about a family, perhaps they thought they should have a surname. Buy the way, are we even sure that's the name of the protagonist? Couldn't it be the name of another character in the movie?

It's also too similar to the more common name, Maribel. I bet people will end up confusing the two.

I also thought of Maribel when I first heard it.

For the Disney animated musical, the Colombia-set Encanto, Miranda says, "It's been so exciting because with Moana it was the joy of my life but I was the last guy hired. And with this I've been in on the ground floor. To be in on the development of an original Disney musical is such a thrill."

Hmm. I wasn't aware he wasn't involved much with Moana in terms of storytelling (maybe that's why it turned out decent? ) We'll see how Encanto pans out now that he's intimately involved with a WDAS project and developed it from the ground up.

It also surprised me he said that, I thought he had been involved with Moana since quite early in preproduction. But I remember he was working on Hamilton at the same time, so maybe he didn't have time to be as involved with that movie as he's now with Encanto.

[estefan]

Me, I think it's really neat Disney is setting another animated movie in South America (I have a soft spot for Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros). There are so many possibilities to make a beautiful, magical film. I really liked Miranda's songs in Moana, so it's neat to see him contributing to another animated musical. He also has Sony Pictures Animation's Vivo set for next year, plus the delayed release of In the Heights, so there won't be a lack of musicals from him next year.

Whatever the filmmakers decide to do, I'm sure it will be something special. WDAS's next two movies have a lot of promise and I'm really excited for both.

[Sotiris]

By the way, are we even sure that's the name of the protagonist? Couldn't it be the name of another character in the movie?

It's an educated guess. It's based on Disney's pattern of behavior when it comes to trademarking. Aside from the general movie/brand trademarks they do, they sometimes also file separate trademark applications for the name of the protagonist. For example, they recently trademarked the name of the lead in Monsters at Work, Tylor Tuskmon.

[D82]

It's an educated guess. It's based on Disney's pattern of behavior when it comes to trademarking. Aside from the general movie/brand trademarks they do, they sometimes also file separate trademark applications for the name of the protagonist. For example, they recently trademarked the name of the lead in Monsters at Work, Tylor Tuskmon.

Oh, OK. Then I guess it's true that it's the protagonist's name.

[DisneyFan09]

The fact she even has a last name makes me believe the film will be set in modern times.

Most likely, yes

I'm also not that fond of the first name Mirabel.

Me neither. It`s unappealing and not particularly catachy. But at least it`s an female name which doesn`t end with the letter a (since every Revival Princess except Rapunzel has a name which ended with the letter a).

There are three things that I need from this movie: 1) the female lead is a late teenager/young adult and not a kid, 2) she has an appealing, naturalistic, Disney-eque design, 3) the film is a period piece and not set in modern times. Everything else, I can tolerate, but I need those three to be on board with this project.

Agreed. I want to be a period piece as well. I just can`t see how magic can work within a modern setting, especially in Colombia (which I don`t associate with magic at all). It just seems very offbeat.

[Sotiris]

I just can`t see how magic can work within a modern setting, especially in Colombia (which I don`t associate with magic at all).

I agree. Having magic will feel jarring in present-day Colombia. Even having magic in The Princess and the Frog felt a bit off to me because of the 1920s setting.

[D82]

I really liked Miranda's songs in Moana, so it's neat to see him contributing to another animated musical. He also has Sony Pictures Animation's Vivo set for next year, plus the delayed release of In the Heights, so there won't be a lack of musicals from him next year.

So, even if The Little Mermaid remake isn't released next year, he could be competing with himself for Best Song at the Oscars.

It`s unappealing and not particularly catachy. But at least it`s an female name which doesn`t end with the letter a (since every Revival Princess except Rapunzel has a name which ended with the letter a).

That's curious. I hadn't noticed that before.

[Farerb]

I don't think In the Heights' songs will be eligible, so it's really going to be Vivo vs Encanto vs whatever songs released that year. But yeah he'll be competing with himself with Vivo and Encanto unless one of them is postponed to 2022.

[D82]

The songs from the musical won't be eligible, but usually film adaptations of Broadway musicals include one song made specifically for the movie, so it can have a Best Song nomination at the Oscars. That happened with The Phantom of the Opera or Les Misérables among others, so I think it's likely In the Heights will have at least one original song that would be eligible. But you're right, one of these films could be postponed.

[Farerb]

You're right, I haven't considered original songs put into it. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

[D82]

It'll be interesting to see what happens.

Yes, it will.

[Sotiris]

LMM has already revealed he wrote a new song for the end credits of the In the Heights movie. So, unless the release schedule get changed again, he'll have Vivo on June 04, In the Heights on June 18, and Encanto on November 24 all in the same year.

[estefan]

To be entirely honest, I don't understand the opposition against setting a fantasy film in present day. There are plenty of well liked stories and properties that have magic being used in modern times, including Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Halloweentown, the stories of Roald Dahl (e.g. Matilda, The Witches, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach), Spirited Away, Wizards of Waverly Place and even the MCU includes magical characters like Doctor Strange and Loki. Audiences readily accepted the characters casting spells or having magical things happen to them in those.

And why would it be unusual for magic to be used in a modern Colombian setting? I admit to having no familiarity with Colombian popular culture, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had their own equivalent to Harry Potter. Ditto the rest of South America.

[Farerb]

To be entirely honest, I don't understand the opposition against setting a fantasy film in present day. There are plenty of well liked stories and properties that have magic being used in modern times, including Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Halloweentown, the stories of Roald Dahl (e.g. Matilda, The Witches, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach), Spirited Away, Wizards of Waverly Place and even the MCU includes magical characters like Doctor Strange and Loki. Audiences readily accepted the characters casting spells or having magical things happen to them in those.

And why would it be unusual for magic to be used in a modern Colombian setting? I admit to having no familiarity with Colombian popular culture, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had their own equivalent to Harry Potter. Ditto the rest of South America.

To me it's not about fantasy, but I do like when Disney films have a "once upon a time-y" feeling to them and modern settings kind of takes that away (like with The Princess and the Frog).
Though I'll say that having a surname doesn't really mean "modern settings", surnames/family names/house names are not a modern concept- moreover if the film is about a royal family. Mulan had a surname, the Darling children as well, non of them felt out of place.
And I agree, I also don't understand why Columbia can't be magical.

[estefan]

I can't believe I forgot to mention Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, all popular television shows that depicted witchcraft and magic in modern settings (the "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" show on Netflix is also really good).

I feel like general audiences don't have any issue with accepting magical things happening in our present day. While it's long associated with far off kingdoms and fairy tales, authors and creators have clearly done the job of applying these concepts to modern times in various works.

[blackcauldron85]

Onward also is a magical world in present times.