Disney’s Wish: Release date, cast, plot and latest news

Chaos ensues when Asha manages to summon Star, a cartoony, cosmic force.

The movie also attempts to honour Disney’s legacy by combining a hand-drawn aesthetic, hearkening back to classics such as Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio, with CGI animation.

Speaking about the unique animation style, Disney’s chief creative officer Jennifer Lee told IndieWire: "I think with Wish, what we were realistic about with ourselves is based on where we are technology-wise, the schedules, what we do.

“Not going backwards from the power of CG and what it’s given us, but really pushing to make sure that the hand-drawn is coming with it.

"Every frame is built layer upon layer. And when you can get Lisa Keene’s painting to resonate and then become not just three-dimensional but actually animated, that was the ultimate goal for me."

Speaking about whether Disney would ever bring to life a project that is strictly hand-drawn only, she added: "We might. But I don’t know. There’s nothing saying we wouldn’t do that. But it’s a different way to build. It’s a different way to do it. It’s a different production system.

"All of those things we recognise, but we don’t want to be afraid of, so we have to continue that legacy. What I’m excited about is we’re seeing a celebration of the fact that animation isn’t here to mimic life. It’s here to transport you in a way that you can surrender to this whole other kind of world."

A trailer for the movie was previously released, giving fans a look at a song from Ariana DeBose, a comic voice performance from Chris Pine and a first glimpse at the combination of 2D and 3D animation the film incorporates.

Read on for everything you need to know about Wish, including when it's expected to be released.

Wish release date: When is the Disney movie coming out?

Wish is set to premiere exclusively in cinemas worldwide on 24th November 2023, meaning there isn’t long to wait at all!

The movie was available for early access screenings in select cinemas on 18th November.

The film is also expected to make its way to Disney Plus in 2024.

Wish cast: Who stars in the voice cast of the Disney movie?

Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) voices the main character, Asha, while Chris Pine voices King Magnifico and Alan Tudyk (Harley Quinn) provides the voice of Asha’s pet goat, Valentino.

The cast is rounded out by Angelique Cabral as Queen Amaya, Victor Garber as Asha’s grandfather, Sabino, Natasha Rothwell as Asha’s mother, Sakina, Jennifer Kumiyama as Dahlia, Harvey Guillén as Gabo, Niko Vargas as Hal, Evan Peters as Simon, Ramy Youssef as Safi, Jon Rudnitsky as Dario and Della Saba as Bazeema.

Rochelle Humes will also be lending her voice to the film and will play a character named after herself, Rochelle, who has been described as "a character whose one true wish is to be the captain of a ship".

Speaking about her role, she said: "It is a dream come true to join the voice cast of Wish.

"The film nods to the magical legacy of the Disney films I grew up with, and I cannot wait to see my children’s faces when they hear my voice on the big screen!"

Behind the camera, the script has been penned by director Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.

What is Disney's Wish about?

Set in a world where people’s wishes can be granted by King Magnifico, the film revolves around a young girl named Asha (DeBose) who becomes Magnifico’s apprentice.

But when the truth is revealed about his wish-making practices, she makes a wish on a shooting star, which leads to the arrival of a cosmic force called Star.

The official synopsis reads: "Wish will follow a young girl named Asha who wishes on a star and gets a more direct answer than she bargained for when a trouble-making star comes down from the sky to join her.

"Asha is a 17-year-old driven optimist and leader in the making. She will face one of the most formidable enemies in the universe and will have to team up with Star, a cosmic force and boundless ball of pure energy and maybe chaos."

Is there a trailer for Disney's Wish?

Yes, the trailer for Wish landed on 27th September. Watch below:

Back in October, Disney also released a featurette starring Chris Pine, which you can watch below:

Wish comes to cinemas in the UK on 24th November 2023. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on tonight.

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