After over four years since the commercial and critical success of Disney’s Zootopia, The Disinsider is bringing word that filmmakers Byron Howard and Jared Bush are setting up their next collaboration with the House of Mouse as they are reportedly set to helm the new animated feature Encanto. In addition, award-winning composer and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda (Moana) has also signed on to write the songs for the Brazil-set film.
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According to the outlet’s sources, Encanto, which means charm in Portuguese, will follow the story of a young girl in Brazil, who belongs to a family who has magical powers. However, the only problem is she’s the only one in the family who’s doesn’t possess these incredible gifts.
If this project pushes through, this film will be Disney’s seventh animated film to have a woman of color as its lead, succeeding Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995), Mulan (1998), Tiana in The Princess and the Frog (2009), Moana (2016) and the forthcoming Raya and the Last Dragon (2021).
The film will be co-written by Charise Castro Smith, Howard, and Bush with the latter also known as the sole writer for the acclaimed film Moana. It will be produced by Clark Spencer (Ralph Breaks the Internet) and Yvett Merino Flores.
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Howard and Bush have found success in their first partnership after co-directing 2016’s animated film Zootopia which earned a gross of over a billion at the worldwide box office. It also had earned numerous praises including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, both for Best Animated Feature.
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