Filmmakers of Disney's 'Encanto' celebrate artists who created animated movie magic

HOLLYWOOD -- Disney's newest animated film "Encanto" was the box office winner for the long Thanksgiving weekend.

The film opened to slightly more than $40 million.

The animated movie musical struck a chord with moviegoers, and the film's directors give a lot of credit to everyone who had a part in bringing this colorful story to life.

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Disney's latest film "Encanto" features original songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who said he was excited to be working with the production team from the very beginning.

"I think our team has really hit a new high level with the simulation on the clothes, the beautiful design, the environments," said director Byron Howard. "Everything is just so gorgeous about this, and we're so proud of them."

The new picture is a musical with original songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created "Hamilton."

"It just felt like I was walking into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory every day I was at work," said Charise Castro Smith, who was also on the film's directing team. "The team that animated, designed, lit, rigged this movie ... they are extraordinary."

Stephanie Beatriz, who voices the lead character, Mirabel, was beyond impressed with the finished product.

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Sandy Kenyon spoke to Lin-Manuel Miranda at the premiere of Disney's "Encanto."

"It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on screen," she said. "They're such a crazy, talented group of artists and artisans."

In the film, Mirabel is a young girl from Colombia who happens to be the one member of her family without magical powers, and she's the one person who may have to save the family when danger strikes their magical home in their beautiful village.

"Home," it turns out, is where some of "Encanto" was created.

"What was really weird on this movie is, because of COVID, we were at our homes, looking at the movie on a laptop," said Jared Bush, the third of the film's directors. "It was only a few months ago that we went into a theatre and saw on the big screen for the first time what this looked like. We were like, 'Oh my God!'"

"Encanto" ranks as the best opener for an animated movie since the pandemic began.

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