How Encanto’s Bruno Song Scene Was Staged Like a Disney Park Ride

Disney Animation tweets that the layout of theme park rides inspired a scene from their hit animated film Encanto. Released in November 2021, Encanto delighted viewers of all ages with its rich animation, catchy tunes, and touching storyline. The movie became an instant critical success, and while box office numbers originally lingered on the lower side, the film’s release on Disney+ in December saw viewership soar over the holiday season. As of February, the film has raked in over $94 million and held the title for the highest-grossing animated film of 2021 before the release of Sing 2, and the internet continues to buzz with Encanto fan theories and continued adoration for the film’s complex and infinitely lovable characters.

Encanto takes place in a fictionalized village in Columbia and centers around the Madrigal family. In particular, the film follows spunky and compassionate Mirabel Madrigal, the only member of the family and descendent of her grandmother Alma Madrigal to mysteriously not possess a magical gift. When cracks in the family’s beloved and mystical Casita begin to appear and threaten the family’s magic, Mirabel ventures on a quest to uncover the untold secrets behind her history and ultimately save their future as a family. The songs and musical scenes of Encanto rank among the most beloved aspects of the film, featuring gorgeous melodies, poignant lyrics, and visually stunning, dynamic animation. Lin Manuel-Miranda of Hamilton fame wrote the soundtrack, and he doesn’t let his legacy fall short, with each song in the film distinctly emotive, catchy, and woven perfectly into the narrative.

Disney Animation‘s Twitter account revealed that the dark, winding architecture of theme park rides, such as the ones at Disneyland, influenced the cinematography of an immensely popular musical scene from the movie. The song featured in the scene, titled “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” showcases several members of the central Madrigal family, as well as various townsfolk, singing forebodingly to Maribel about their estranged family member Bruno and revealing their fear of his mysterious prophecies and the misfortunes that follow. 3D Layout Artist Tyler Kupferer designed the layout of the scene and purposefully wanted the scene to feel like a live performance. In the scene, the viewer accompanies an overwhelmed Mirabel as she wanders in and out of shadowed lighting and various sets that illustrate the family member’s individual tales, which captures the dark and mysterious mood of the song beautifully.

Click here to watch the video on Twitter

The iconic Encanto song utilizes a blend of different musical styles like hip hop, Broadway, and salsa to create a uniquely captivating sound. Considering its viral and record-breaking success that crowned it as one of Disney’s most successful songs, it only seems fitting that the scene for this particular song should be so creatively inspired. While the tweet from Disney Animation doesn’t list specifics of the rides that inspired the scene, one can’t help but imagine that the dark, winding corridors of a theatrical narrative ride like the famous Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion might have sparked that moment of creative genius for the graphic designers of Encanto.

Both the making of and the success of Encanto not only signifies the continual commercial and critical success of Disney Animation, but it also notably epitomizes a recent surge in movies and television shows that center around Latino/Afro-Latino characters who have been historically marginalized in the media. An important milestone for the continual fight for more diversity in film and TV (and especially at Disney), the faithful and loving representation of the Madrigal family in the film makes the success of Encanto especially important. This cultural significance renders the creativity and inspiration poured into the film all the more special and hopefully also signifies a commitment on the part of The Walt Disney Company and the entire entertainment industry to continue creating and valuing stories that uplift cultural diversity and inclusion moving forward.

Source: Disney Animation