What’s it about?
+ Q&A with directors Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn, songwriter Julia Michaels, voice actor Ariana DeBose, producers Peter Del Vecho, Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones and writer/executive producer Jennifer Lee
Asha lives in the Kingdom of Rosas which is home to a tight-knit community led by King Magnifico, a popular figure who she has a bad feeling about. When Asha makes her extraordinary wish – delivered in a song – she inadvertently summons a star from the sky, who sprinkles magic and inspires Asha to think differently and see that everything is possible. Star comes just in time as the kingdom faces an unknown threat and Asha finds herself right in the middle of the disruption. Disney celebrates its centenary with a new musical comedy that combines the contemporary with the traditional and promises a wish come true for all ages.
‘Be careful what you wish for!’
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ all-new musical comedy Wish invites audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force – a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe – the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico – 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. Featuring the voices of Academy Award®-winning actress Ariana DeBose as Asha, Chris Pine as King Magnifico, and Alan Tudyk as Asha’s pet goat Valentino, the epic animated musical Wish hits the big screen as the storied studio marks 100 years of moviemaking.
Inspired by Walt Disney’s magical, musical legacy, the movie features an original story and characters, with seven all-new songs penned by Grammy®-nominated singer-songwriter Julia Michaels and Grammy-winning producer-songwriter-musician Benjamin Rice. But perhaps this film’s biggest nod to the Disney legacy is in the title itself: Wish. Whether it’s Geppetto looking up at the stars and wishing for his wooden Pinocchio to become a real boy, Tiana gazing at the night sky as she dreams of owning her own business, or Moana turning to the stars in her quest to save her island, so many of Disney’s most beloved characters are defined by their dreams. Wish celebrates that kind of passion. ‘At the heart of our film is this: “There is no greater power in the universe than someone with a true wish in their heart”,’ says the film’s screenwriter-executive producer Jennifer Lee (Frozen, Frozen 2), who also serves as the studio’s chief creative officer. ‘It really is a film about understanding that with great wishes often comes greater struggle. Hopefully, it’s aspirational on how to persevere.’
Production notes
WISH
Directed by: Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
©: Inc. Disney Enterprises
Production Company: Disney
Created and Produced at: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Executive Producers: Jennifer Lee, Don Hall
Produced by: Peter Del Vecho, Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones
Screenplay by: Jennifer Lee, Allison Moore
Additional Story Material by: Carlos López Estrada, Andrew Rothschild
Story by: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn, Allison Moore
Director of Cinematography Layout: Rob Dressel
Director of Cinematography Lighting: Adolph Lusinsky
Heads of Animation: Rebecca Wilson Bresee, Wayne Unten
Edited by: Jeff Draheim
Production Designer: Michael Giaimo, Lisa Keene, David Womersley
Original Songs by: Julia Michaels, Benjamin Rice
Original Score Composed by: Dave Metzger
Score Choir: London Voices
Orchestra Conducted by: Don Harper
Sound Designer: Nia Hansen
Voice Cast
Ariana DeBose (Asha)
Chris Pine (King Magnifico)
Alan Tudyk (Valentino, goat)
Angelique Cabral (Queen Amaya)
Victor Garber (Sabino, grandfather)
Natasha Rothwell (Sakina, Asha’s mother)
Jennifer Kumiyama (Dahlia, Asha’s best friend)
Harvey Guillén (Gabo)
Niko Vargas (Hal)
Evan Peters (Simon)
Ramy Youssef (Safi)
Jon Rudnitsky (Dario)
Della Saba (Bazeema)
USA 2023
95 mins
Digital
Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios (UK)
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Programme notes and credits compiled by Sight and Sound and the BFI Documentation Unit
Notes may be edited or abridged
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