The Walt Disney Company is gearing up to celebrate its impressive 100 years as a studio. The entertainment giant has been known for its incredible characters, enchanting films, and storytelling. Now, the company looks to be giving fans another dose of Disney magic with Wish (2023).
As the hype for the movie builds, we know people are looking for more information on this new timeless tale Disney is looking to tell. Set in the kingdom of Rosas, Wish will tell the story of a young girl named Asha as she makes a wish on a star and changes everything.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Disney Wish movie.
Disney’s Wish Release Date
Wish, starring Ariana Debose, Chris Pine, and Alan Tudyk, is releasing in theaters on November 22, 2023. As it falls on the American Thanksgiving holiday week, Disney is looking to cater to families who will be spending time together while off school or work.
The company had less than impressive results with Strange World (2022) in this release window last year. However, the appeal of Wish being an animated musical with a classic Disney princess feel puts it in a much better spot than its predecessor.
Disney animation has come a long way, and executive producer Jennifer Lee has high hopes for the new look the studio has brought to this film. Wish combines Disney’s timeless animation style with a watercolor aesthetic, making the movie’s backgrounds pop out like a painting on the screen.
Wish will also have an early access screening in select theaters on November 18, 2023. While the Hunger Games prequel Ballad of Songbird and Snakes, starring controversial West Side Story (2021) star Rachel Zegler, is also coming out the same month, the movie’s main competition consists of a new Trolls franchise movie, Trolls Band Together, releasing on November 17.
Who is the Cast in Disney’s Wish Movie?
Walt Disney Animation Studios is known for casting wickedly talented actors and actresses in its films, and Wish does not disappoint. West Side Story actress Ariana DeBose, who won an Academy Award for her performance, leads the voice cast as Asha.
Alan Tudyk lends his talents to Valentino the goat, Asha’s faithful and charming companion. He is obviously one of the stand-out characters and aims to appeal to young children with his cuteness.
Chris Pine stars as the villainous King Magnifico, the ruler of Rosas who hoards the wishes of his people for power. His breakout hit song “The Thanks I Get” has already become a popular number for the film’s fans.
Other actors lending their talents include Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story star Evan Peters, Titanic‘s Victor Garber, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish‘s endearing Harvey Guillén. Notably, the character of Star in this the movie does not speak.
Much of the voice cast is comprised of Asha’s friend group. There are seven of them in total, and they are a throwback to Disney’s first animated classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Jennifer Kumiyama voices Dahlia, the group member everyone looks up to. She uses a crutch to walk and is an expert baker.
Here is the full cast for the film:
- Ariana DeBose – Asha
- Alan Tudyk – Valentino the goat
- Chris Pine – King Magnifico
- Angelique Cabral – Queen Amaya
- Victor Garber – Sabino
- Natasha Rothwell – Sakina
- Jennifer Kumiyama – Dahlia
- Harvey Guillén – Gabo
- Niko Vargas – Hal
- Evan Peters – Simon
- Ramy Youseff – Safi
- Jon Rudnitsky – Dario
- Della Saba – Bazeema
Disney’s Wish Movie Story
The Disney Wish movie tells the story of a young woman named Asha who lives in the kingdom of Rosas. This location is based on and inspired by the Iberian Peninsula. The kingdom is ruled by a benevolent king named Magnifico and his wife Queen Amaya.
When citizens of Rosas turn 18, they go to a ceremony and willingly give their wishes to Magnifico, who grants some of them every year. However, unbeknownst to the community, Magnifico hoards most of these wishes for power and only grants a select few.
From the trailer, it can be assumed Asha is chosen as the king’s apprentice and discovers his secret. She then desperately wishes on a star to help Rosas, and her prayer is answered when Star comes to help. This leads to the rest of the film as Asha takes on Magnifico to help all of Rosas.
Fans seem increasingly excited that Walt Disney Animation Studios is having a traditional villain again. In recent films such as Frozen II (2019), the villain is always more of an obstacle or internal. It has been a while since Disney has embraced an actual villain in its storytelling.
Director Chris Buck has said the film will have a lot of easter eggs and callbacks to past Walt Disney Animation cherished films. The title is the culminating tale of Disney’s 100 years of creating endearing animated films.
The Walt Disney Company seems extremely confident with Wish. The studio has suffered major setbacks with a lot of its recent offerings. We anticipate another masterpiece in the entertainment giant’s long legacy of master storytelling with the Disney Wish movie.