Disney reveals surprise 2023 film: Wish
An all new major Walt Disney Animation Studios film is coming in just a few months
We expect film announcements at a convention like D23 Expo, but what just happened at Friday's D23 Expo 2022 panel 'D23 Studio Showcase' was a legit surprise: an all new, heretounannounced film, expected to come out in just a few months.
Walt Disney Animation Studios' Wish is a Disney animated musical that will explore that familiar wishing star seen in films such as Pinocchio, Princess & The Frog, and Tangled.
"How did the wishing star upon so many of our beloved characters wished come to be?" a video package rhetorically asks, before showing us... well... that's what the film will be about.
The story centers around a moment when one human connects with the magic of the stars. The heroine will be named Asha, who is 17 and a leader in the making. Asha sees a darkness in her kingdom, and makes a wish to the stars, wishing for guidance. Her wish calls down an actual star from the sky, named Star. Star is made from possibility and hope! (and is also a beacon of chaos)
Walt Disney Animation Studios will employ a watercolor style and 3D animation in Wish to show the magic of the kingdom of Rosas. In fact, those of us in attendance at the panel were shown a short test of Asha interacting with Star in this watercolor/3D style.
Ariana DeBose stars as Asha, and will be joined by others including Alan Tudyk as a goat named Valentino. Wish is directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn.
The songs to Wish will be written by Julia Michaels.
Here is photos from the presentation:
The video package included snippets of Pinocchio's Gepetto, Princess & the Frog's Tiana, and Tangled's Rapunzel wishing upon stars, as well as clips from other previous Disney films like Encanto, Treasure Planet, Big Hero 6, and Moana with the familiar song 'A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes' played over it.
Wish is scheduled to debut in November 2023.
Feel like you're missing out on this year's D23? Follow along with Popverse's boots-on-the-ground coverage of this year's D23 Expo.