The Encanto Project Fans Want To See

In 2021, the Pixar musical "Encanto" debuted on Disney+ to all-encompassing praise from critics and viewers (via Rotten Tomatoes). The movie centers on the Madrigals, a Colombian family endowed with magical abilities. Notably, most members of the clan receive their gifts at the age of five — except for teenager Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), who strives to support her siblings and cousins despite her lack of proficiency when it comes to magic. However, Mirabel slowly begins to notice signs of disarray within their enchanted home and tries to warn her family. Grappling with their waning magic, the Madrigals must turn inward and confront their past, particularly the tragic history of their matriarch, Abuela Alma (María Cecilia Botero).

Lauded for its nuanced and thoughtful portrayal of generational trauma, the film poignantly peels back the story of the Madrigals while also offering up a vibrant, joyful depiction of familial love. As one reviewer articulated, "'Encanto' challenges us to accept that while moments of healing ancestral trauma may be fleeting, our efforts to mend those bonds are not in vain" (via USA Today). Moreover, the highly effective music, heavily influenced by the Latin roots of the film, proved to be a mighty force on its own (via The Atlantic). By the end of its run, the film, which received numerous accolades throughout the year, also won the Oscar for best animated feature (via IMDb). 

In light of such celebration, it's far from a surprise that fans now want to see even more of the Madrigal family.

In a Reddit thread, u/Particular-Dog2086 shared the news that the "Encanto" directors, Byron Howard and Jared Bush, were interested in a new project centered on the Madrigal family. During an interview with The New York Times, they revealed that they were "open to the possibility of a sequel, stage show, or spinoff series."

In response, users quickly jumped in to reveal their preferences — and the majority of them argued that a spin-off would be an ideal storytelling format. Repeatedly, viewers pointed out that the narrative richness of the Madrigals would provide ample space to develop and deepen unexplored character arcs. As u/Worried_lass noted, "The story worked well as its own thing but the characters had the most potential. You could have a decent amount of shorts by picking a character or two and making a short for them." 

U/Arkhaline agreed with other commenters, writing, "So many of the characters have a lot of personality but not a lot of screen time (like Camilo, he seems like he'd be so fun to follow around). Additionally, I'm sure that the nature of the gifts impacted everyone's psyches, so it'd be interesting to explore how that impact Julieta, Camilo, and Dolores, as well as the husbands." As the same user explained, a two-hour sequel still wouldn't be enough time to truly dive into their universe, nor would it give the characters the justice and time in the spotlight that they deserve. 

While any kind of project focused on the Madrigals would likely garner excitement, it seems that a spin-off is a fan-favorite way to honor the characters.