Above: Antonio, a character in upcoming ‘magic realist’ Disney animation Encanto.
1. A DIFFERENT KIND OF MAGIC
Encanto
— about a Colombian village where everyone has magical powers, except for a girl named Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) — is not another Disney film based on a fairy tale.
“European-style Disney magic didn’t really match up with the Latin American world,” says the film’s co-director, Byron Howard. While most Disney magic is adapted from writers like Hans Christian Andersen (Frozen, The Little Mermaid) or the Brothers Grimm (Snow White, Sleeping Beauty), Encanto is an original story that follows the literary traditions of the country it is set in. “We were [more] inspired by Colombian literature of magical realism, such as [the work of ] Gabriel García M árquez,” Howard explains. Here, rather than a princess’ castle, the magic is found in an everyday family home, and is “specific to [your role in the] family. So the rock of the family is incredibly strong, the nurturer heals with her food...”