The director of the upcoming Disney animated filmEncanto,Jarod Bush, announcedvia TwitterthatAlan Tudykwill be voicing Pico the Toucan in the film. Pico is the lovable animal sidekick to main character Mirabel Madrigal (Brooklyn 99’sStephanie Beatriz). Bush describes him as enthusiastic but clueless, a classic combination for a Disney animal sidekick.
Tudyk is often described as Disney Animation’s “good luck charm,” which Bush does in the tweet, as Tudyk has voiced a character in every Disney Animated film sinceWreck-It Ralphin 2012. Tudyk played the suspicious King Candy, a role that won him an Annie Award for voice acting. He has since played the Duke of Weselton inFrozen, Alistair Krei inBig Hero 6, Duke Weaselton inZootopia, Heihei inMoana, Knowsmore inRalph Breaks the Internet, and most recently Tuk Tuk inRaya and the Last Dragon. Given the immense success of his first two Disney films,Wreck-It RalphandFrozen, it became an inside joke of sorts that he was Disney’s lucky charm and thus had to voice at least one character in all their films.
Tudyk has also lent his voice to two other recent Disney films, this time for other departments of the studio. He starred as droid K2SO inRogue One: A Star Wars Storyin 2016, and revived the character Iago for the live-actionAladdinin 2019. He will also be playing Mr. Darling in the upcomingPeter Pan & Wendy,David Lowery’snew take on Peter Pan that will be coming to theaters in 2022.
Related:New ‘Encanto’ Trailer Expands on Film’s Magic-Filled Story and Colombian Setting
Tudyk’s role in the upcomingEncantoshould bode well for an already star-studded film. With music fromLin Manuel-Miranda, Encanto follows the Madrigal family, a Colombian family where each member has magical powers. Each member, that is, except Mirabel. A recent trailer revealed that the family’s powers come from a magic candle that infuses each person with their special power. However, when the family’s powers are threatened, Mirabel is the only one who can save them.
The film comes from directors Bush andByron Howard, the directing team behindZootopia, and co-directorCharise Castro Smith, making her feature debut. Bush and Castro Smith co-wrote the screenplay. The film also starsWilmer Valderrama,Diane Guerrero,John Leguizamoandthe recently announced Colombian superstarMaluma. The film hits theaters November 24 and will be coming exclusively to Disney+ on Christmas Eve.
Keep Reading:Alan Tudyk Talks ‘Resident Alien,’ His ‘Deadpool 2’ Cameo, ‘Rogue One,’ and More in 60-Minute Interview
