By Molly Moss

Published: Thursday, 25 November 2021 at 12:00 am


Disney’s latest musical Encanto is now available in cinemas – making it the 60th animated film to be released by the beloved studio.

The film is the first from the House of Mouse to be set in Latin America, and co-director Byron Howard recently revealed to RadioTimes.com that “every road led to Colombia” when it came to selecting a location for the movie.

Complete with an original soundtrack full of energetic numbers from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto tells the story of Mirabel Madrigal – the only member of her extended family not to have been bestowed with a special gift – as she finds herself trying to save the day when her house’s magic begins to fade.

The voice cast includes a range of stars with Colombian heritage, including Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Stephanie Beatriz in the lead role, while Howard (Tangled, Zootopia) and Jared Bush (Frozen II and Moana) share director credits.

For more details about Encanto’s release date, cast and trailer, read on.

Encanto release date

Disney’s Encanto is now available in UK cinemas – having been released on Wednesday, 24th November.

Unlike previous films released this year including Disney’s live-action hit movie Cruella and the Pixar Animation Studio’s film Luca, Walt Disney Animation Studios will not release the film simultaneously in cinemas and on its streaming platform, Disney Plus – although it will be added to the platform in due course.

When is Encanto on Disney Plus?

Encanto will hit streaming 30 days after its release in cinemas, which means it will debut on Disney Plus on 24th December, 2021, according to Collider.

Of course, this is so that children all around the globe can watch The Madrigal’s magical adventure in time for Christmas.

In the meantime, there’s a lot to look forward to this November as Disney Plus celebrates its second birthday since it first launched in the US.

An array of films and TV series will be released on the service including Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings, Home Alone reboot Home Sweet Home Alone, the streaming debuts of Jungle Cruise and the second season of The World According to Jeff Goldblum.

Encanto cast

"Stephanie
Stephanie Beatriz voices Mirabel in Disney’s Encanto

The cast of Encanto is led by Stephanie Beatriz, who voices Disney Princess Mirabel. Beatriz is best known for her role in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and, more recently, her singing and dancing in the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical In The Heights.

Undercover Law’s María Cecilia Botero is the voice of Mirabel’s grandmother Abuela Alma, in both the English and Spanish versions of the film.

Jessica Darrow (Following Hannah Stone) is the voice of Mirabel’s older sister Luisa, while Diane Guerrero (Doom Patrol) plays another sister, Isabela.

In addition, Angie Cepeda (Halo) plays Julieta, Mirabel’s mother, who can heal with her cooking, while Mauro Castillo (El Joe) is the voice of Mirabel’s uncle, Félix, and Carolina Gaitan (Narcos) the voice of her aunt Pepa.

The cast is rounded out by Wilmer Valderrama (Onward) as Augustín, the singer Adassa as Dolores, Rhenzy Feliz (Runaways) as Camilo and John Leguizamo (John Wick: Chapter 2) as Bruno.

What is Encanto about?

Encanto centres around the lives of the Madrigal family, who live in a magical house in the mountains of Colombia.

The enchanted house bestows every child in the family with a unique power – every child except one, Mirabel.

The tables turn when the family’s house begins to crumble and the children lose their unique talents, forcing them to turn to underdog Mirabel, who may be their last hope.

If you want more details, you should read our Encanto review.

Encanto trailer

Disney released a second trailer for Encanto in September 2021, which teases the collapse of the Madrigal family’s enchanted house – and with it, their magical powers.

Before their downfall, however, the trailer hints at all sorts of magical powers including super-strength, shape-shifting and the ability to control animals and plants. Watch below.