From Stars Wars to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the Pirates of the Caribbean, Walt Disney Studios owns some of the most popular franchises on the planet. And the company might be adding to its roster soon.
According to Business Wire, Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently discussed the monetary success of Encanto and referred to the animated film as “the launch of a new franchise.”
“We’ve had a very strong start to the fiscal year, with a significant rise in earnings per share, record revenue and operating income at our domestic parks and resorts, the launch of a new franchise with Encanto, and a significant increase in total subscriptions across our streaming portfolio to 196.4 million, including 11.8 million Disney+ subscribers added in the first quarter,” Chapek said.
Of course, it is unclear at this point what Chapek meant when he used the word “franchise,” but, based on Disney’s track record, the likely outcome would be a sequel or maybe even a prequel to the popular 2021 movie. Or maybe it could become an animated TV series like Disney did with its 2014 Oscar-winning film, Big Hero 6.
If a film sequel is in Encanto’s future, look for Mirabel Madrigal to stay the central protagonist who is surrounded by her magical family for another adventure. Screenwriters, however, might have to add a villain to the mix to keep things fresh. If Disney decides to go for a prequel, a narrative about the Madrigals as children might be something cute to watch.
Or how about a film spin-off? Could Isabela, Bruno, or Dolores carry their own films? We know Luisa definitely could (along with a few donkeys). This is all becomes more viable when you take into consideration that Lin-Manuel Miranda discussed his interest in maybe adapting Encanto into a Broadway show.
Encanto recently landed three Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score, Best Animated Feature, and Best Song for “Dos Oruguitas,” which was written by Miranda. Whatever the film expands into in the next few years, we’re sure we’ll still be humming “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” unintentionally.