Are new adventures from the Madrigal family making a comeback at Disney? Want to know if a highly anticipated sequel is officially in the works or not? If yes, then continue reading to learn more.
After the phenomenal success of the animated musical fantasy comedy film Encanto (2021), which was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and termed a cultural phenomenon by major publications, as the film was nominated for three awards at the 94th Academy Awards, winning Best Animated Feature, and received numerous other accolades.
It looks like Disney has their eyes set on this movie’s success, and it will be heading to become one of its major franchises in the near future as official talks and hints about the possibility of a sequel have once again gained momentum! Even though nothing has been officially confirmed by the studio yet, in a recent interview, producer Yvett Merino hinted that Disney is working on ways to “expand across the company.”
Merino said in an interview with The Direct he would love to see the world of Encato expand. “There’s different—we’re working closely with our friends in publishing and consumer products to make sure—there’s always different ideas and needs and wants for, for it to stay alive out there.” Further adding, “But I don’t have anything official to say, but I love the ‘Encanto’ world and can’t wait to see it expand across the company.”
This update has renewed the common interest among the fans of the first movie, as they are once again reminiscing about its well-developed characterization, music, animation, voice acting, emotional depth, and cultural fidelity, which perfectly fit within the film’s core concepts of transgenerational trauma that resonated with millions of viewers worldwide.
To say the least, it’s great to know that the parent company still wants to keep the world of Encanto alive despite the major silence surrounding status or even the actual idea of a direct sequel.
As Merino also added, “I think we will continue to work on what that actually means. But we are so blown away by the reaction and how Encanto kind of connected with so many people,” she noted. “We continue to look at different ways that we can keep the world alive. I know they teased a little bit of destination D23 about something Encanto coming, possibly to one of the parks. And we love that…”
One of the other ways in which the magical world of Encanto can be expanded is also hinted at by Merino, as it can be achieved through the Disney Parks. Back in September, Walt Disney Imagineering Chief Creative Officer Bruce Vaughn revealed that some big changes were coming to Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom park. Vaughn said that the largely defunct Dinoland USA area in Animal Kingdom would be substituted with a “Tropical Americas” area, which would include attractions based on Encanto and Indiana Jones. However, we would like to emphasize that there isn’t much elaboration on this subject.
We are hoping that negotiations are still being discussed about this movie’s future projects in order to turn it into a full-fledged franchise, which might include spin-offs, mini-television series, shorts, or even direct sequels like The Lion King, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Frozen, etc., to name a few projects from the catalog that were released by Walt Disney Pictures. The fans of Encanto are also wishing that soon deals will be agreed upon as the producers and their studio might still be in talks about the right move for the possibility of a highly requested sequel. We’ll just have to wait and see!
See Abuela Alma and Abuelo Pedro’s journey in this storyboard reel of “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto. 🕯️ Watch @encantomovie on @DisneyPlus.
🎨 Sylvia Lee, Carrie Liao, Nicole Mitchell, & Byron Howard
✨ Join us as we look at the artistry, technology, and people that have shaped… pic.twitter.com/57DXQNqJj6
— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) October 14, 2023
About Encanto
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ feature film”Encanto” tells the tale of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family who live in a wondrous, charmed place called 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 includes Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel; María Cecilia Botero as Mirabel’s grandmother Alma aka Abuela; John Leguizamo as 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.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 212 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website’s consensus reads, “Encanto‘s setting and cultural perspective are new for Disney, but the end result is the same – enchanting, beautifully animated fun for the whole family.” Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 75 out of 100 based on 41 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews.
The film’s soundtrack also became a success, reaching number one on the US Billboard 200 and UK Compilation Albums charts; “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Surface Pressure” were its two most successful songs, with the former topping both the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart for multiple weeks in a row.
Encanto was directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard from a screenplay by Charise Castro Smith and Bush. Voice actors in the animated film were provided by Stephanie Beatriz, Maria Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo, Jessica Darrow, Angie Cepeda, Carolina Gaitán, Diane Guerrero, and Wilmer Valderrama. Right now, you can watch Encanto with a subscription on Disney+, or you can even rent or buy it on Apple TV, Vudu, and Amazon Prime Video based on the user’s location and membership preferences.
Let us know in the comment below if you want to see another animated sequel to this movie or not.