Information

Wish is a 2023 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It was directed by Chris Buck and Von Wierasunthorn (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Jennifer Lee and Alison Moore, based on a story conceived by Lee, Buck, Wierasunthorn and Moore, and produced by Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster. -Jones, Lee and Don Hall are serving as executive producers. The art style combines computer animation with the look of Disney’s historic hand-drawn animation. The film stars Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Gerber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Harvey Guillen, Evan Peters, Remy Youssef, and John Rudnitsky. The story centers on a 17-year-old girl named Asha (DeBose), who makes an emotional plea to the stars in a moment of need after sensing darkness in the realm of the Roses that no one else does.

Development of Wish began in 2018 but was not made public until January 2022, when it was revealed that Lee was writing an original film at Disney Animation. In September 2022, the project was officially announced, with the title revealed alongside the involvement of DeBose and Tudyk. Buck and Weerasunthorn, who worked with Lee on Frozen (2013) as co-director and story artist respectively, were confirmed as directors the same month, with Moore later hired to join Lee in writing the screenplay. The film is inspired by Disney’s centennial, which unites a major theme across most Disney films—wishes coming true. Additionally, it is described as the origin story of Abhilashi Nakshatra. Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice wrote the lyrics, while frequent Disney orchestrator Dave Metzger composed the score.

Wish premiered on November 8, 2023 at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, and was released theatrically in the United States on November 22. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $50.7 million.

Details

King Magnifico and his wife Queen Amaya founded the kingdom of Rosas on an island in the Mediterranean. After studying magic, Magnifico is able to grant his subjects their greatest wishes; Each of them is left with the memory of their wishes to be sealed and protected by the king until he can grant them. Once a month, as a ceremonial event, Magnifico chooses a wish to grant.

17-year-old Asha prepares to interview for Magnifico’s apprentice job on her grandfather Sabino’s 100th birthday, hoping that Magnifico will fulfill Sabino’s desire to inspire people. The interview goes well until Asha pleads to grant Sabino’s wish, which Magnifico refuses, seeing the elusiveness of the wish as a potential threat to his power. Asha realizes that Magnifico never wants to return their masters’ ungranted wishes, and when she questions his methods, Magnifico refuses to accept his apprenticeship or grant any wishes to his family members.

Asha tries but fails to convince her family that Magnifico is deceiving them. Distraught, she makes her own wish. To his surprise, the star descends from the sky in the form of an anthropomorphic ball of light, called the Star of Hope. Star’s magic gives the forest animals, including Asha’s pet goat Valentino, the ability to speak, prompting Asha to enlist Star’s help in restoring her family’s will. Star’s presence is felt by everyone in the kingdom and Magnifico feels threatened by it. Despite Amaya’s pleas, he turns to dark magic to maintain his position of power as his subjects begin to doubt his method of rule.

Asha restores Sabino’s wish and she is happy to remember it, but Magnifico arrives to arrest them, having learned that Asha is responsible for summoning the star. Corrupted by dark magic, Magnifico seeks to use Star’s magic and Rosas’ will to increase his own powers, forcing Asha’s family to flee to a nearby island, while Asha, Star, and Valentino stay behind to free the will of the other citizens. One of Asha’s friends, Simon, is revealed to be the one who sold Asha to the Magnifico in hopes that her wish to be knighted would be granted. Magnifico grants the wish, but casts a spell on Simon to imprison Asha.

Asha rallies her other friends, Dalia, Bajima, Dario, Gabo, Hal and Safi. Amaya also joins them, discovering Magnifico’s corruption. When her friends infiltrate Magnifico’s study and open the ceiling to release the wishes, Asha tries to distract Magnifico, only to be tricked by a disguised Simon. Magnifico climbs the tower of the castle, absorbs the power of each will and traps the star. Asha tries to stop him but is easily overpowered as the Magnifico blocks the sky, preventing the citizens from looking up at the stars.

Hope encourages citizens to express a desire to change the future of Rojas. The power of their combined desire eventually overcomes Magnifico, trapping him in the mirror of his staff, and the citizens recover their sealed desires with a new understanding of following them.

Amaya captures Magnifico and becomes the sole ruler of Rosas, helping the citizens make their wishes come true on their own. A repentant Simon is forgiven by Asha and her friends. The star gifts Asha with a magic wand so she can inspire people to keep dreaming before returning to the sky among the other stars.

Disney Voice Cast

Ariana DeBose as Asha, a 17-year-old girl who longs for a star that will help save Rosas after sensing an impending darkness. Director Chris Buck says Asha is “spirited—a passionate member of her community who proudly shows off the incredible place she grew up in”.
Chris Pine as King Magnifico, the King of the Roses who is the sole protector of the will of the people. Writer Alison Moore says that his motivations are not honorable, saying that “Magnifico thinks wishes are just ideas. But they are a part of your heart—the best part of your heart! Yet he holds them in this bubble of wishes—hundreds of them—and most of them. There will be forever because that’s how he controls the kingdom—with false hope.”
Alan Tudyk as Valentino, a goat whose wish to communicate comes true when Star’s magic gives him the ability to speak.
Angelique Cabral as Queen Amaya, King Magnifico’s wife and Queen of the Rosas.
Victor Gerber as Sabino, Asha’s 100-year-old grandfather who is waiting for her wish to be granted.
Natasha Rothwell as Asha’s mother Sakina.
Jennifer Kumiyama as Dahlia, Hope’s disabled best friend who is the royal baker and unofficial leader of the group. He was inspired by Snow White and Doc from the Seven Dwarfs.
Harvey Guillen as Gabo, a boy who is cruel but has a heart of gold. He was inspired by Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Nico Vargas as Hal, a cheerful girl. He was inspired by Happy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Evan Peters as Simon, a strong boy with a big heart. He was inspired by Sleepy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Rami Yusuf as Safi, a boy who suffers from allergies. She was inspired by Sneezy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
John Rudnitsky as Dario, Hope’s rosy-cheeked and eared friend. He was inspired by Dopey from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Della Saba as Bajima, a shy girl. She was inspired by Bashful in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Additional voice cast includes Keon Young as Mountain Climber, Tall Man Tourist and Guard #1, Lucas Sigler as Bunny and Baby Mushroom, Holland Watkins as Mouse and Mountain Climber’s Wife, Woody Buck as Stag, Guard #2 and Citizen #5, Ship Captain and Efe as Fan Tourist, Nicole Lynn Evans as Mountain Climber’s Wife and Mother Tourist, Heather Matarazzo as Flying Woman, Nasim Pedrad as Sania and Abraham Sigler as Tourist Boy.

Singer and television presenter Rochelle Humes cameos in the UK version of the film as Rochelle, a villager who aspires to be a ship’s captain. Yvette Nicole Brown and James Monroe Iglehart have vocals during “I’m a Star” and are credited as featured vocalists alongside Woody Buck.

Box Office

As of November 28, 2023, Wish has grossed $33.4 million in the United States and Canada and $17.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $50.7 million.

In the United States and Canada, Wish was released alongside the wide expansion of Napoleon and Saltburn and was initially projected to gross $45–50 million from 3,900 theaters in its five-day Thanksgiving opening weekend. The film grossed $8.3 million on its opening day, including $2.3 million from Tuesday night previews. After Thanksgiving Day ($3.9 million) and Black Friday ($8 million), estimates were lowered to $32-33 million. It debuted with $19.5 million (and a five-day total of $31.7 million), finishing in third place behind holdovers The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Napoleon . Variety attributed the low opening to a lack of social media marketing and divisive word of mouth, but suggested the film could take off like Pixar’s Elemental did earlier in the year.

About

Directed by	·         Chris Buck ·         Fawn Veerasunthorn
Screenplay by	·         Jennifer Lee ·         Allison Moore
Story by	·         Jennifer Lee ·         Chris Buck ·         Fawn Veerasunthorn ·         Allison Moore
Produced by	·         Peter Del Vecho ·         Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones
Starring	·         Ariana DeBose ·         Chris Pine ·         Alan Tudyk ·         Angelique Cabral ·         Victor Garber ·         Natasha Rothwell ·         Jennifer Kumiyama ·         Harvey Guillén ·         Evan Peters ·         Ramy Youssef ·         Jon Rudnitsky
Cinematography	·         Rob Dressel (layout) ·         Adolph Lusinsky (lighting)
Edited by	Jeff Draheim
Music by	·         Dave Metzger (score) ·         Julia Michaels (songs) ·         Benjamin Rice (songs)
Production companies	·         Walt Disney Pictures ·         Walt Disney Animation Studios
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates	·         November 8, 2023 (El Capitan Theatre) ·         November 22, 2023 (United States)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$175–200 million
Box office	$50.7 million

 

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