Will there be an Encanto 2? Previously, we didn’t know if we could expect the adventures of Mirabel and the amazing Madrigals to continue, but a new interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda suggests that a sequel could be on the way—although not necessarily in movie form.
Encanto, Disney’s latest feature-length animated film, tells the story of the family Madrigal, a multigenerational household in which each family member is gifted with a magical power. With abilities like super strength, healing, and shapeshifting, the family uses their gifts to serve the town they live in, which is surrounded by a magical mountain range protecting them from dangers outside of their community. But when the magic begins to fail, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), the only Madrigal child who didn’t receive a gift, is forced to delve into the family’s traumatic past to find out what hidden rifts are tearing the family apart.
What makes Encanto such a memorable movie is that it’s not just two hours of flashy magic and catchy songs. The heartbreak and trauma that Alma (Olga Merediz) carries with her, which makes her push her family to the limits to prove that they’re worthy of the miracle they’ve been given, gives the story a memorable emotional anchor. You sense that some part of Alma still fears that the soldiers are waiting for her on the other side of the mountains, so even though she’s ultimately responsible for the magic failing, you never once blame her. Alma and the rest of the Madrigals are so lovingly rendered that one movie doesn’t feel like enough to tell their story.
Plus, even though the movie ends on an uplifting note as the family’s wounds are healed and the magic grows strong again, viewers are still left with more questions than answers. Why didn’t Mirabel get a gift all those years ago? Why did Casita give her a door only to cruelly strip it away when she touched the knob? (And before you rush to the comments, that theory about her wiping the magic off on her dress has been debunked.) What is her place in the family now that everyone has recognized her intelligence, empathy, leadership skills, and other non-magical qualities? And most importantly, does she still have to live in the nursery, or does she finally get a sweet new room that’s bigger on the inside?
Clearly, there’s plenty of material for a sequel, and now Encanto fans have real reason to hope that the adventures of the Madrigals will continue!
“It’s a question of when and not if”
Recently, Miranda spoke with Collider about the possibility of a sequel. Here’s what he said:
I do think there’s an appetite to further explore the Madrigal family, given how many characters there are, and how many gifts there are. And also where we leave the story. Now there is sort of this more fully realized version of themselves. Which way can we go? I think it’s a question of when and not if, and what form that will take. Is that another movie? Is that a series? Is that a stage adaptation where we have a little more time, because stage shows are generally an hour longer than movies?
Disney is no stranger to continuing the stories of its characters through various media, of course. Tangled, for example, never got a sequel in the form of a theatrical release, but it did get an animated series in the form of Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure. And Frozen fans were gifted with both an exquisite feature-length sequel and a large collection of shorts.
Of course, Disney sequels are notoriously uneven in quality (the less said about the Little Mermaid sequels, the better). That’s why the most exciting thing about Miranda’s Collider interview is that he expressed interest in working on an Encanto sequel himself, saying, “I’d be down to continue to explore that…I’d love to write more for [the characters].”
An Encanto sequel with Lin Manuel Miranda attached? You know that’d be a quality project. In addition to the unanswered questions above, there are so many directions they could take the plot. Is it time for the Madrigals or the townspeople to start venturing beyond the mountains surrounding the encanto? How will Bruno find his place within the family again? What problem will Mirabel tackle next?
While you wait and dream, you can check out Encanto, now streaming on Disney+!
(image: Disney)
