One hundred years — a whole century has passed since Walt Disney (and his brother) established the animation studio that would end up being one of the world's oldest and most influential companies. As a pioneer in the industry, Disney is, without a doubt, an icon. The animated creations produced out of the studio never cease to reap acclaim and accolades, constantly serving the audience with marvelous, high-quality films. As time advances, so does the brand; the legacy of Walt Disney never dies. In fact, it’s stronger than ever.
To celebrate the fateful 100th year of sharing wonder and joy with the world, Disney will gift audiences with a special treat: a brand-new animated feature titled Wish. After all, we, too, need a break from all the live-action remakes the company has created, and an original production has long been requested. Luckily, that particular wish is about to be granted. Last September, at the D23 panel event, the movie was announced and will proudly join the long line of the studio’s animated motion pictures as the 62nd entry. And really, fans are in for some very exciting updates.
Update September 29, 2023: This article has been updated by Jessica Peerez with more recent information about Disney's Wish.
Wish: The Plot
It goes without saying that an occasion as special as the 100th-anniversary calls for special treatment. What better way to commemorate it than returning to the roots, right? For instance, the company’s leading symbol. And no, it’s not Mickey Mouse but rather the iconic wishing star we were first introduced to in Pinocchio, subsequently told in Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and The Princess and the Frog, and the one that has been gracing the first shot of every Disney castle logo since 2006.
Certainly, the origin tale of that particular star would make for a story most fitting of a film specifically made in honor of the centennial celebration. Well, you’ll be happy to hear that Wish very much agrees with the idea, for the feature’s plot will revolve around the question, “How did the wishing star, upon which so many Disney characters wished, come to be?”
At the time of writing, Disney has released two trailers for Wish. The first teaser trailer was released in April 2023, while the most recent official trailer was released on September 27, 2023. The first trailer gave fans a glimpse of the fairytale world with amazing graphics that Wish would bring to screens. The second trailer revealed more plot details, better introducing us to the characters of the film.
Thanks to the trailer, we now know that handsome King Magnifico, the ruler of Rosas, has the power to grant wishes. From all the wishes made by people, King Magnifico decides which wishes come true. He does so by considering the goodness of the wish. Asha, the protagonist of Wish, becomes the King's apprentice and is horrified to learn that the King picks and chooses which wishes come true and which do not. The trailer then shows Asha making a wish upon a star, a wish that comes true. King Magnifico is threatened, and Asha is deemed a traitor of Rosas, with the townspeople ordered to find Asha.
The official synopsis of Wish reads:
Set in the magical kingdom of Rosas, the story introduces Asha, an optimist with a sharp wit who deeply cares about her community. When Asha turns to the sky in a moment of need and makes a wish, her plea is answered by a cosmic force — a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, they face the most formidable of foes to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.
Of course, the magical narrative described above can only unfold if enhanced with the right kind of magic, or in this case, medium. In line to blend the beauty of the past and present, Wish is set to adopt the musical genre along with fantasy and adventure and will combine Disney’s beautiful original watercolor art style with the prevailing technique the studio uses, computer-generated 3D animation.
Wish: The Cast
The 17-year-old protagonist Asha will be voiced by the Oscar winner, Anita of West Side Story, Ariana DeBose. DeBose will bring out Asha’s inspiring Disney-like heroine quality, who is driven and incredibly smart, sees the darkness in the kingdom nobody else sees, and finds a way to help the people she loves, even if it means calling down an actual star from the sky.
Meanwhile, the versatile Disney’s official good-luck charm and legend in the making, Alan Tudyk, will play Valentino, a pajama-wearing goat who wishes for the ability to communicate. Tudyk has previously lent his voice to every Disney animated film since Wreck-It-Ralph. It has also been confirmed that Chris Pine will be the voice behind the handsome King Magnifico with the evil laugh. Other actors joining the cast include Evan Peters as Simon, Angelique Cabral as Queen Amaya, King Magnifico's wife, Natasha Rothwell as Sakina, Asha's mother, Victor Garber as Asha's grandfather Sabino, Jennifer Kumiyama as Dahlia, Asha's best friend, Harvey Guillén as Gabo and Ramy Youssef as Safi.
Everything Else We Know
The Disney Animated Canon is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated media people look up to. As such, Wish is held to a certain quality that is of a higher standard. Correspondingly, Chris Buck, Jenniffer Lee, and Peter del Vecho will bring the Arandellian supremacy they once created to the table and join forces once again in this movie as director, screenwriter, and producer, respectively. Joining Buck in the directing honor is Fawn Veerasunthorn, Raya, and the Last Dragon’s Head of Story, while Juan Pablo Reyes will co-produce with del Vecho.
The names above are nothing short of familiar, for they are indeed closely associated with Disney. However, for a refreshing change, the talented singer-songwriter Julia Michaels is entrusted to compose the musical numbers for Wish. One song, "More for Us", was sung to the audience during the D23 panel.
In keeping with the 100th-anniversary theme, Wish will also feature a short film titled Once Upon a Studio, a short film that will celebrate the company's rich history that sees all the Disney animated characters gathering to take a class photo. It will feature the iconic like Mickey, Donald, and Goofy as well as stars from recent films like Encanto, Frozen, and Moana, timeless classics like Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan but will also feature some characters from some lesser-known entries like Home on the Range and Chicken Little. It will truly be a great celebration of everything that is Disney.
Release Date
Wish is scheduled to fall onto the theaters this year on November 22, 2023, the day before Thanksgiving. This follows a tradition Disney so regularly maintains for their animated features’ releases. Disney is certainly hoping for a better outcome than their previous Thanksgiving release, Strange Worlds, which was one of the company's biggest box office bombs. Wish is expected to head to Disney+ sometime in 2024.