SNAPSHOT
In Disney Animation’s Wish, 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. Wish is co-directed by Oscar-winning animation filmmaker Chris Buck (director on Tarzan, Surf’s Up, Frozen, Frozen II, and other Frozen-related spin-offs) & story artist Fawn Veerasunthorn (making her directorial debut after working as head of story on Raya and the Last Dragon). The screenplay is written by Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore, along with Chris Buck. Produced by Peter Del Vecho and co-produced by Juan Pablo Reyes. Made by Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank. (courtesy First Showing)
If there’s one thing Disney does well, it’s to tap into our emotions and our desire to have magical things come true.
The second thing they are very good at it is crafting merch-worthy characters and earworm-compulsive tunes, both of which Wish seems to have in sparkly starry spades.
In some ways, Wish looks very business-as-usual with almost all of the requisite Disney pieces in place; that’s not necessarily a bad thing and the company’s track record for getting it right with its animation in recent years has been very good.
But you have to hope that when much of its output is live action rehashing of existing properties that this film will turn out to be something very special indeed.
I guess I could always just wish for that, right?
Wish opens on 22 November in US and 26 December in Australia.