Disney’s upcoming animated movie “Wish” is set to premiere in theaters on November 22, 2023. During a presentation at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, directors Chris Buck (Frozen, Frozen 2) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (Raya and the Last Dragon) introduced almost 30 minutes of clips and scenes, as well as a Q&A with Disney Animation Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee, and producers Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones.
First, we screen the brand new trailer for Wish, where we get a better look at the Kingdom of Rosas. We find out the Kingdom’s ruler – King Magnifico (Chris Pine) has the power to grant wishes. The film’s protagonist, Asha (Ariana DeBose) is interviewing to be his apprentice where she finds out that not all the wishes are granted. In fact, the King tells her that most wishes aren’t granted. Asha tells the King that isn’t fair to the people of Rosas, and he gets upset with Asha.
The trailer also shows a snippet of Ahsa’s song “This Wish”, as well as her meeting Star – a non-verbal magical star that formed when Asha sang out her wish. Later, King Magnifico tells the Kingdom there is someone using illegal magic and is a traitor. Take a look at the official trailer for Wish:
The next scene shows Asha working as a tour guide in the Kingdom of Rosas. As she guides her tour group through the kingdom, she breaks into song about tidbits of the Kingdom and its ruler, King Magnifico, and finishes with a grand dance number. The song “The Kingdom of Rosas” has a similar feel to Family Madrigal from Encanto.
Next, we’re shown about 18 minutes of footage. Asha has her interview with King Magnifico for the position of his apprentice. She is feeling nervous but ecstatic about the opportunity. King Magnifico shows her the Inner Sanctum – where all the wishes of Rosas are held. During this, Asha learns that not all wishes are granted. In fact, most aren’t. Hearing this, Asha tells the King the ungranted wishes should be returned to the people, which angered the King and he rejects her application to be his apprentice.
We also learn that when people make their wish and give it to King Magnifico, they can no longer remember what they wished for. This is where Asha runs to the woods and sings her wish to the brightest star in the sky, and manifests Star.
The final scene presented is where King Magnifico announces to the kingdom there is a traitor among them who has been practicing illegal magic. At the same time, the citizens of Rosas begin to question why they can’t remember their wishes. Seeing this, the king returns to the Inner Sanctum and breaks into “This Is The Thanks I Get”, a song about being unappreciated after all he has done for his people. By the end of the song, King Magnifico opens a spell book as green-colored magic comes off the pages. The scene ends with a secret underground chamber opening up and the King descending the stairs.
The Songs of Wish
There are 7 songs in the upcoming film and during the presentation, we were able to screen 4 songs, including Ahsa’s “This Wish”. This song takes place after Asha finds out from King Magnifico that not all wishes can be granted, upset by this, she sings out her heart’s true desire about wanting to help make all the wishes come true. Ariana DeBose’s performance on this song is incredible, carrying so much emotion throughout the number. Feels like this song will be on the level of Frozen 2’s “Into the Unknown” and “Show Yourself”
Another song to be excited about is King Magnifico’s “This Is The Thanks I Get”. The King expresses how underappreciated he feels by his citizens, after all he’s done for them – granting wishes and keeping them safe. The song/rap is upbeat and fun. After all, who doesn’t love a good villain number?
The other two songs are “Welcome to Rosas” and “I’m A Star”. “Welcome to Rosas” is sung by Asha who also works as a tour guide. In this song, she takes her tour group around the kingdom, telling them history and different fun facts about Rosas. It feels similar to “Family Madrigal” in Encanto. “I’m A Star” is sung by an ensemble of woodland creatures and plantlife after having their wishes granted by Star – the ability to talk.
All the songs of Wish is written by Grammy-nominated songwriter Julia Michaels. At 29, she is the youngest person to write for Disney. Her contemporary style brings a young and fun sound to the mix.
The Inspiration For the Look of Wish
As this is the film being released on Disney’s centennial anniversary, the filmmakers want to pay tribute to all the beloved Disney classics. Buck and Veerasunthron looked at films like Pinnochio, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Alice in Wonderland for inspiration. They loved the watercolor look in those films and utilized today’s technology to blend hand-drawn animation and CG together.
Overall, from everything we saw and learned at the presentation, Wish is looking fantastic. Filled with great songs, gorgeous animation, and an original story.
For more on Wish, check out the video below:
