'Encanto' Trailer: Disney's Magical New Animated Musical Features Songs By Lin-Manuel Miranda

Hope you're not all Lin-Miranda Manuel'd out, because Walt Disney Animation's Encanto trailer is here and it's certainly whetting our musically-inclined appetites. To set the scene, this upcoming animated movie is described as "the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto."

Jaguars! Capybaras! Dancing donkeys! Boy, earlier reports that hinted at a story filled with a sort of magical realism certainly weren't kidding around. From the trailer, it's clear that this heightened, Colombian-set plot revolves around the Madrigal family, all of whom boast distinctive magical powers, ranging from super strength to shapeshifting to the gift of healing.

Well, everyone except for poor Mirabel, that is, who is voiced by Stephanie Beatriz. Disney further describes her journey as, "But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family's last hope."

Encouragingly, it appears that the Colombian setting and culture will play an integral role in Encanto. We're told that an early research trip to Colombia on the part of the filmmakers, "as well as their continuous work with a group of expert consultants assembled through the course of the film's production," served as vital inspiration throughout the making of the film. As Beatriz herself says:

"Mirabel is a really funny, loving character who also deeply yearns for something more. She's also not afraid to stand up for what she knows is right—something I love and relate to very much.

I'm Colombian on my father's side, and playing this role fills me with immense pride. 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."

The trailer also features one of many original songs called "Colombia, Mi Encanto", performed by GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winner, singer, songwriter and actor (and Santa Marta, Colombia native) Carlos Vives. Says Vives:

"This song is a celebration of the magical diversity of Colombia. I can't wait to see how the music will blend with the images and the characters inspired by the 'encanto' of Colombians."

As we told you before, Encanto is directed by Zootopia alums Byron Howard and Jared Bush and co-directed by Charise Castro Smith. Miranda, of Hamilton and Moana fame, will also be providing original songs. Stay tuned for more as marketing is set to ramp up. Encanto is set for a November 24, 2021 theatrical release.