Zootopia directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush to helm Disney’s upcoming original animated movie titled Encanto. Walt Disney Animation Studios is developing a new film about a Brazilian family, who all have magical powers, however a young girl in the family has no powers.
According to The Disinsider, Encanto, means “charm” in English. With Lin-Manuel Miranda writing the music for the film, Clark Spencer (Ralph Breaks the Internet) and Yvett Merino Flores (Moana) will be producing the film. The screenplay is being co-written by Charise Castro Smith, who previously worked on The Haunting of Hill House, along with Bush.
In terms of upcoming movies, the only confirmed film coming from Disney Animation Studios is Raya and the Last Dragon, which was pushed from a late 2020 release date to early 2021. Beyond that, the studio has claimed November release dates in 2021, 2022 and 2023, but has yet to confirm what in-development projects will debut on those dates. Now, a new report offers insight into at least one of Disney’s upcoming animated films.
Encanto seems to be part of a larger push at Disney to diversify the characters who lead their movies and the types of stories that are told. A big push from viewers for representation in recent decades seems to have influenced the studio’s approach to storytelling.