Disney’s Encanto Sets A New Bar For Cultural Representation, Says Star

Wilmer Valderrama, one of the stars of Disney’s Encanto, thinks the film sets a new bar for cultural representation. Though the American actor has enjoyed a long career in film and television, he remains best known for his role as Fez in the popular series That ’70s Show. Encanto, the latest movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios, released nationally in theaters on November 24.

Directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush, who previously worked together on 2016’s Zootopia, the film is set in a special location in Colombia called the Encanto, which has blessed its inhabitants, the Madrigal family, with special powers. All, that is, except for Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), who suddenly finds herself in the position to save her family when the magic that protects the Encanto is threatened. Valderrama plays Agustín Madrigal, the family patriarch, with the cast also including John Leguizamo and Diane Guerrero.

In an interview with ET, Valderrama expresses a deep admiration for the project, which he hopes will develop quite the legacy. As a film immersed in Colombian culture, the actor of Colombian-Venezuelan heritage expects Encanto to set a new standard for how the cultures of the world can inspire similar art. And, referring to his daughter born earlier this year, Valderrama hopes this movie will be the first of many to inspire children like her. Check out his full quote below:

I think we’ll remember this movie later as one of those films that set the bar so high and interpreted culture onscreen, that I hope it creates a parade of amazing stories that explores all the different cultures that we should discover, learn from and appreciate. I hope that she sees this as like the beginning of whoever she wants to be as she gets older.

Encanto features original songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the prolific creator of Hamilton who has previously worked on Disney’s Moana. The movie has received positive reviews from critics so far, and is even projected to beat House of Gucci at the box office for Thanksgiving weekend, indicating early support from audiences as well. Disney is also giving it the chance to perform in theaters by providing it an exclusive 30-day window, before eventually adding the film to Disney+ on December 24.

On-screen representation is a hot-button topic for the film industry, and while much of the broader argument hinges on the issue of labor, it is an arguably more pressing issue for children’s entertainment. The impact of a project like Black Panther demonstrated to Hollywood at large that there is a desire for young people to see themselves reflected in their media, and there has since been a much more intentional push by both Marvel and Disney to put representation front-and-center. Whether they are truly achieving that goal is up for debate, but Valderrama clearly believes in the potential of Encanto to have that kind of resonance for Colombian-Americans and Latinx immigrants more broadly. Based on its current performance, audiences might agree with him, but it will take time to know if the film will occupy so prominent a place in the canon as he hopes it will.

Source: ET

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