Wish: On the red carpet with Ariana DeBose, Jennifer Lee, Fawn Veerasunthorn and Chris Buck

2023 marks the 100-year anniversary of Disney, the culmination of which is brand new original film Wish. Taking as its starting point the “When you wish upon a star” refrain, first referenced in the Pinocchio song in 1940 that then became Disney’s theme, the animated movie imagines the origins of that wish.

Ariana DeBose of West Side Story fame brings unadulterated enthusiasm and glorious vocals to the role of 17-year-old Asha, a feisty young girl who has ambitions of becoming King Magnifico’s apprentice. Magnifico is the only person allowed to use magic in the idyllic land of Rosas, and also looks after the wishes of all its inhabitants, who live in hope that one day they’ll be granted. However, upon meeting the king, Asha realises he isn’t all he seems.

Chris Pine takes on the villain role with glee, leaning into both the charm and vanity of his antagonist, bringing something of a different lilt to Disney baddies that have gone before. An opening duet between DeBose and Pine more than proves their vocal dexterity.

The movie functions to both pay homage to the past and bring something forward-looking, in its look and feel, with a hybrid of retro 2D-style animation and muted, blue-hued watercolour backgrounds and more contemporary 3D characters, and also its story, which is packed to the rafters with references to Disney’s legacy and characters, bringing to the fore its core sentiments of hope, magic and overcoming adversity, while also being forward-looking in its focus on a love of community rather than romantic love. With songs penned by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice, the music has that Disney trademark of capturing the emotional highs and lows, with a poppy modern twist, the likes of Knowing What I Know Now holding an addictive earworm beat.

While it may not reach the heights of some of the studio’s classics of yesteryear and recent times, it’s no doubt going to capture the imaginations of youngsters and certainly be a nostalgic trip for parents too, with plenty of thematic considerations relevant to our era of the dangers of power being held into few hands and the importance of coming together as a community.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of hitting the magical blue carpet for the premiere of the new film. DeBose spoke about the joy of taking on the role of Asha and inspiring a next generation who look like her.

Writer Jennifer Lee gave some insight into how they crafted the story from the starting point of a wish upon a star.

Co-directors Fawn Veerasunthorn and Chris Buck spoke about bringing to life a tale that both paid tribute to the past and felt fresh, in both the look and feel and its storytelling.

Producers Juan Pablo and Peter Del Vecho stopped to chat about the significance of Disney’s 100-year anniversary and making films that feel both timely and timeless.

Sarah Bradbury

Wish is released nationwide on 24^th November 2023.

Watch the trailer for Wish here: