Encanto‘s Most Magical Character Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight

In Disney ’s approaching alive featureEncanto — from cobalt - conductor Byron Howard and Jared Bush — almost everymember of the Madrigal familyis blessed with a unparalleled ability that comes from the brawny connector to themagic that their household treeas a whole has always had . So spring up up without power is unvoiced for Mirabel in part because of the incredible things her parents and sib are capable to do .

But Encanto ’s real powerhouse , whose magics put Mirabel ( Stephanie Beatriz ) and the rest of the Madrigals to ignominy by comparability , is n’t a someone at all , or even the movie ’s main antagonist . It ’s a character who ’s very significant to Encanto ’s history and plays a key role in work who Mirabel is long before she sets off on a journeying to save magic . When io9 recently verbalize with Encanto ’s originative squad , they explained how catch to experience this character is the best fashion to get to know the rest period of the Madrigals .

Of all the otherworldly things that define the Colombian town that the family call home , few stand out quite like their literal house , a sentient dwelling that Bush equate to Moana ’s sea . “ But opposed to Moana , our house is a little bit more self-opinionated and flawed like a house . It ’s a house that play favorites ; a menage that mess with people . ” The Madrigals refer to their abode as “ Casita ” — something like a crossHowl ’s move castle(and its comparatively meek facade ) and theSteven Universe’shidden tabernacle of the Crystal Gems .

Mirabel and some of her neighbors taking in the sights.

Mirabel and some of her neighbors taking in the sights.Screenshot: Disney

The outward magic it radiates pales in comparison to the living , vivacious zip humming within it , and while Casita ’s very much its own being , Howard also described it as a reflexion of the Madrigals ’ status as a unit . “ We played with the mind of the physical as a literal delegacy of the category and their emotional connections , ” Howard say . “ If the family ’s happy , the house is good for you . If the family ’s being playful , the mansion may be playful . But if the family is proceed through conflict , the house can crack . ”

To develop Casita ’s bet and feel , Encanto ’s team look to the menage of Colombian town like Barichara , Cartagena , and Salento in ordering to make it finger like a somewhat realistic sort of abode from the outside . Working with distinction from Colombian architects , assistant output designer Lorelay Bové set out to create a house that felt at home in the country ’s mountains , but also provided a way to literally show you into the life of everyone living within it . “ One thing that we learn through the consultants was how , in the coffee realm , there are a lot of haciendas that have an indoor / outdoor feel , ” Bové say . “ We really wanted to get that in our Casita , as well as the courtyard has a beautiful view to all the magical doorway in our house . ”

According to Bové , Casita ’s kitchen took inspiration from all Romance American kitchen , but to both give the menage a clearly Colombian aesthetic , and make a way for the house to physically interact with hoi polloi , the originative squad led with roofing tile as one of the independent internal design elements . Throughout the film , Casita makes its presence lie with and express itself by make a motion its tiles , which allows it to “ pertain ” objects , but many of the family ’s more telling powers revolve around specific occupants .

Image: Disney

Image: Disney

Casita as a whole is a house , but each of its single room muse the person who dwell within it ( and their charming ability . ) Because Mirabel ’s “ normal , ” her room ’s rather plainly , but for other Madrigals like her cousin Antonio ( Ravi - Cabot Conyers ) who can mouth to animals , the family transform . Because of Antonio ’s connexion to nature , Bové looked to the Chocó – Darién moist forests on Colombia ’s peaceable coast and refer with botanist for accurately show the sheer scale of the country ’s raw biodiversity within his room alone . Of all the Madrigals , Antonios ’s baron are an representative of one that most obviously lends itself to a visual rendering — like a way brim over with verdure and animals . It ’s go to be very interesting to see what other sorts of way Casita acquit itself to suit the magical family .

Encanto hits theaters on November 24 and comes to Disney+ on December 24 .

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Image: Disney