Every year, Disney, the world’s leading animation studio, releases several entertaining films with enchanting animation and relatively intriguing concepts. Encanto, Moana, Raya: The Last Dragon, and Tangled have all represented the pinnacle of Disney animation and quality. The studio, founded in October 1923, will celebrate its 100th anniversary, but before that, it presents us with the wonderful film Wish, which explores the story of the wishing star that so many Disney characters have always desired.
Wish is an upcoming animated musical film by Walt Disney Animation Studios and will be the studio’s 62nd animated feature. The film, directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn and written by Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore, will center on the wishing star, which has long been a part of Disney lore. That said, the movie is one of the most anticipated animated films this year, and while this is largely due to the fact that it is a Disney film, there are other reasons to be enthusiastic about it.
Tells the Story of the Legendary Wishing Star
Star, the wish-granting creature, has been a part of Disney lore since at least the first adaptation of Pinocchio, which included the timeless classic song “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Since then, the song has become something of an anthem for the studio, and the star has been seen in a handful of films, including Princess and the Frog, Snow White, Cinderella, and The Muppets.
The star has been talked about in films for decades, and finally, in the upcoming movie Wish, we’ll see the star’s actual appearance rather than simply listening to songs about it. The story is about how the fabled wishing star grants a wish to a young girl named Asha as she strives to take on Rosas’ king, King Magnifico, along with her goat Valentino. Here’s how Walt Disney’s official website presents the story:
“In 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.”
Ariana DeBose Leads the Cast
While exploring the story of the Wishing Star is impressive and exciting enough, here’s another surprise for Disney movie fans. Ariana DeBose, who recently won an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her work in West Side Story, will portray the film’s main protagonist Asha.
Even though this will be Ariana’s first Disney animated movie, considering her versatility and previous voice-over work, she is well-suited to represent the character of Asha. In addition, the film features two additional notable actors as voice actors: Chris Pine and Alan Tudyk.
While Chris Pine can be seen in the Star Trek film series and Wonder Woman, Alan has provided voices for several Disney films, including Encanto, Aladdin, Frozen, Zootopia, and Raya and the Last Dragon.
Lots of Singing
Disney movies are never complete without musical interludes, which is what differentiates them. While the characters and story provide a solid foundation for the film, it is the animation and musicals that make these films truly memorable. The musicals in these films are primarily intended to recreate the classic Disney ambiance, which is one of the many reasons why Disney is the most popular animation franchise.
Disney continues to propel the narrative ahead with musicals, as it has for decades; it is a kind of tradition. It also targets audiences like children, who need every story in the form of songs to grasp it better. Apparently, many films, particularly animated ones, have difficulty conveying the thoughts and emotions of characters to viewers, but these songs would make it much easier to do so.
While all of these factors contribute significantly to the success of these Disney films, adding an emotional impact to the story is also a factor. According to the Walt Disney website, Wish will have songs written by Grammy nominee Julia Michaels, with music by Dave Metzger (Frozen).
A New Blend of Watercolor Style with CGI Animation
Disney is well-known for improving on its predecessors, and they have made fantastic animated movies over time. While they always maintain their originality, the studio also experiments with new ways to make them stand out, as it did for the upcoming film, Wish.
In an article about the upcoming 100th-anniversary celebration, the official Disney website stated, “Inspired by watercolor illustrations of fairytales that fascinated Walt Disney, the look of the film blends a timeless watercolor style with contemporary 3D CG animation.”
As we all know, modern animation is changing faster than we think, and adapting to various styles allows animators to improve movie quality with less effort than usual. Given that Wish will use a watercolor approach that has given us classics such as Mickey Mouse, combining it with the improvised 3D CG will undoubtedly give audiences something unique to look forward to.
Disney’s Wish is set to open in theaters on Nov. 22.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
