Make a Wish! Disney Reveals Magical New Movie Footage

Disney Fanatics have already seen the trailer for the new Disney movie called Wish, and reactions were mainly positive. Now, Disney is giving the people even more of what they want in the form of more ‘wishes’ from the Annecy International Animation Festival!

The new animated Disney film (which premieres in theaters on November 22, 2023, and stars Oscar winner Ariana DeBose in the role of Asha) focuses on the origin story of wishing stars as an obvious reference to Disney’s iconic song “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

Ariana DeBose takes the lead as Asha, and Hollywood heartthrob Chris Pine has thrilled Disney fans by taking on the role of a sorely-missed Disney villain.

This new Disney villain is named King Magnifico, and the main cast is completed with Alan Tudyk in the role of the goat named Valentino.

A Whole New World of Animation

Wish is a movie that uses two different mediums: 2-D artwork and 3-D animation. As we can see in the new footage that was shared in Annecy (and in the previously-released trailer), this new style is both beautiful and unexpected.

According to Variety, “Disney animation chief creative officer Jennifer Lee capped an Annecy showcase by screening 20 minutes of unfinished footage” from the movie.

These 20 minutes featured two scenes from the beginning of the movie — one between Asha and King Magnifico in the Kingdom of Rosas, and one between Asha and the star that she has unwittingly summoned from the sky (which reportedly looks like “a marshmallow Peeps set ablaze”).

Does ‘Wish’ Have the Required “I Want” Song?

Annecy attendees were also able to listen to two songs from the film during these scenes, including an “I Want” song (which, as we all know, is a Disney protagonist’s signature) and a song that was sung in the forest among woodland creatures.

Wish is apparently meant to be an ode to classic Disney fairy tale films or Disney princess movies, according to Frozen writer Jennifer Lee, and viewers have already spotted plenty of references to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Sleeping Beauty (1959)!

The setting and animation from Asha’s starry-eyed song also bring a more modern Disney film, The Princess and the Frog (2009), to mind.

The debut of new footage from Wish will certainly be an Annecy highlight for many Disney fans and fairy tale enthusiasts, but the return of Robin Williams was also a highlight (even if it was also controversial)!

Have you been following along with this festival and the resulting Disney news here on Disney Fanatic?