Disney revealed new info about and a first look at Wish, its Nov. 2023 animated musical at the D23 confab on Friday. Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) and Alan Tudyk (Encanto) will voice the main characters of the upcoming pic, which will be directed by Oscar-winning director Chris Buck (Frozen) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (Raya and the Last Dragon). Jennifer Lee is co-writing the script and Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes are producing
The film follows the adventures of smart and optimistic 17-year-old heroine Asha (Debose), who sees darkness that others do not. She’s navigating a Kingdom of Wishes, where wishes can literally come true. Asha makes an impassioned plea to the stars, wishing for guidance and help, and ends up bringing an actual star — a cosmic force that’s a literal ball of energy and communicates through pantomime — down from the sky. Tudyk voices a goat named Valentino. Together they face a villain described as one of the most formidable foes in the studio’s history. The film will explore the origins of the famous star upon whom everyone wishes.
The filmmakers pointed out that the film blends timeless watercolor style with 3D CG animation. “Fawn and I both grew up on Disney classics and fell in love with them,” Buck said. “Truly is no greater power in the universe than someone with a true wish in their hearts.”
“The film means so much to all of us at the studio and has been an incredible collaboration across all the generations,” Jennifer Lee, the film’s co-writer and the studio’s Chief Creative Officer.
The studio also shares a new image and a clip from its Nov. 2022 features Strange World. The film’s stars Jake Gyllenhaal (Searcher Clade), Dennis Quaid, Lucy Liu and Jaboukie Young-White director Don Hall and screenwriter Qui Nguyen were also on stage at the event.
