It all starts with family, as seen in our exclusive clip from the home video release of Disney's Encanto. The release is also including a sing-along movie version, never-before-seen bonus features, and deleted scenes – and is available now on major digital platforms including Apple TV and Prime Video, and will release on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on February 8. It is also currently streaming on Disney+.
Encanto is directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard. Lin-Manuel Miranda contributed to the story and provided original songs for the film. The three filmmakers are featured in our exclusive clip, as each of them explains how their real-life family experiences helped shape Encanto. You can watch the video below.
"The idea of perspective in your family is what Encanto is all about," Howard says in the clip. "Your grandmother experienced so much that you just were not around for. You're very much alike, in many many ways, but your experiences have been very different."
Bush added, "Families are wonderful. Families are complicated. Being honest about family is really important."
Howard goes on to explain how Encanto came together in the first place as the result of the filmmakers speaking to one another about their own family experiences. The three of them knew they wanted to collaborate on something, but had no specific ideas in mind. They came to realize that what they all had in common was that they were all a part of a "large, crazy, extended" family. That's when it clicked that they had their inspiration right there for Encanto, as they "thought a movie about a big, extended family really hadn't been done as a musical at Disney" before.
"We really wanted to say, 'What happens if we can capture the complexity of a family?'" says Miranda. "I think, especially in Latin cultures, family is so important. I come from a big family, everyone I know comes from a big family, so we wanted to be able to capture that complexity in an animated world."
Encanto Was a Big Hit for Disney
Encanto performed rather well with critics and filmgoers upon its release. It debuted in the No. 1 spot at the box office and was the second-highest-grossing animated movie of 2021 and pulled in big numbers upon its debut on Disney+ in December. It also won Best Animated Feature Film at the Golden Globes. Its soundtrack also topped the music charts with the song "We Don't Talk ABout Bruno" hitting No. 1 on the UK Singles chart and No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Encanto follows a multigenerational family and focuses primarily on Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz), the only member of the family not to be gifted with the "miracle" of magic. Without any special abilities, Mirabel sets out to save the family and their magical house when she learns they're all in danger of losing their magic.