Disney Animation shared a glimpse at some of the original storyboards from Encanto. The film, which was released in theaters on November 24, 2021, is the 60th feature film from Walt Disney Animation Studios. It follows Mirabel, the spunky young daughter of the Madrigal family, a magical family in a fictionalized Colombia, all of whom are bestowed with a magical gift - with the exception of Mirabel.
Encanto was a mid-sized success at the box office, earning just over $250 million worldwide. However, it didn't explode to its current popularity until it began streaming on Disney+ just one month after its original release, on December 24, 2022. That was when its original songs began appearing on the Billboard charts, with the ensemble number"We Don't Talk About Bruno" hitting #1 and becoming an inescapable meme.
Meet the fantastical, magical Madrigals in this storyboard side by side! 🎨: Jason Hand, Head of Story #Encanto pic.twitter.com/naOEGBLD4gSeeing how much of the world the animators had already worked out even when it's presented in a much simpler sketch form without the characters being rendered in CGI is a sight to behold for the landmark movie. The head of story for Encanto was Jason Hand, who has worked with Disney on many occasions in the past.
Additionally, Hand is a Disney veteran and, with him at the helm of Encanto's development, it makes sense why the story seemed so fully formed even at such an early stage. They had plenty of details already meticulously mapped out, down to Mirabel's iconic glasses, which were drawn in color even on the largely black-and-white storyboards.