Colombian Singer-Songwriter Malumo Breaks Into Acting By Joining The Cast of Disney's 'Encanto'

Disney has been working recently to begin to slowly ramp up the hype for their next animated musical film, Encanto, over the past several weeks, individually releasing cast member names and other details on the new venture. Disney obviously has a lot of faith in this one, and rightly so - with Lin Manuel Miranda partnering once again with the team that created Tangled, Frozen, Moana, and many more, it would be a miracle if they DIDN'T have another hit on their hands.

So far, Disney has told us that "Encanto tells the tale of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family who live in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. Each child has been blessed with a magic gift unique to them-each child except Mirabel. But when the family's home is threatened, Mirabel may be their only hope."

We also know that Stephanie Beatriz of Brooklyn Nine-Nine will be playing Mirabel, the leading lady. The rest of the cast includes the vocal talents of Wilmer Valderrama of That 70's Show, Diane Guerrero of Orange Is The New Black, and many more.

Today, Disney has announced a new cast member to add to the mix: Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma will be joining the cast as Mariano, the almost-fiance of Mirabel's all-too-perfect sister, Isabela (Guerrero). Maluma is known across Colombia and all over the world as a heartthrob musician; he won the 2018 Latin Grammy for Contermporary Pop Vocal Album. 

"'Encanto is such a magical movie," said Maluma, in a Disney press release. "I'm from Colombia and the story is about a Colombian family. I'm proud to be part of this beautiful story. It means so much to me as I'm very passionate about sharing my country's cultural values and story globally."

This is Maluma's first foray into moviemaking, but it won't be his last;  Next year, Maluma is slated to act in the film Marry Me, alongside Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson.

You can see Maluma as Mariano when Disney's Encanto hits theaters on November 24.