Oscar-winning actor Ariana DeBose looks to the starry night and sings her heart’s desire in the trailer for Disney’s new animated feature “Wish.”
If you’ve ever wondered how the Wishing Star came to be, this animated musical feature, set to be released on Nov. 22, is an ode to that legacy that has been featured so prominently throughout Disney Animation’s history.
DeBose stars as Asha, a 17-year-old who lives in the magical kingdom of Rosas, a fantastical place ruled by Disney’s newest villain, Chris Pine’s King Magnifico, and built on people’s wishes and hopes. Joining the cast is Alan Tudyk, who voices Asha’s pet goat Valentino. When Asha makes a wish one night, she finds herself encountering “Star,” a cosmic energetic character from the star-filled sky after unintentionally summoning him.
Fawn Veerasunthorn, who worked as head of story on “Raya and the Last Dragon,” is a director along with “Frozen’s” Chris Buck. The voice cast also includes Angelique Cabral as Queen Amaya, Victor Garber as Asha’s grandfather, Natasha Rothwell as Asha’s mother, as well as Jennifer Kumiyama, Evan Peters, Harvey Guillén and Ramy Youssef.
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Jennifer Lee, writer and Chief Creative Officer at Disney Animation says, “Asha is the ultimate ordinary hero. Asha is at that precipice in life where she is an idealist, open, accepting and having fun. Disney’s newest heroine sees the world reveal its flaws as she goes on her journey. She starts to feel that fire that a lot of people feel at that age of ‘this isn’t right, what am I going to do?’ We watch her become a full participant in the world and see the impact you can have.”
Lee hopes Asha’s journey is one that many people relate to in their lives. She says, “She’s so inviting, warm and so honest about it that I feel it carries you through in a way where it doesn’t bring you down, it lifts you up.”
Grammy winner Julia Michaels, the songwriter behind Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Selena Gomez’s “Hands to Myself,” teams up with writing partner Benjamin Rice and together they have penned seven new original songs, including a soaring power ballad for Pine’s King Magnifico and “This Wish,” sung by DeBose as Asha looks to the stars to make her wish. Longtime Disney orchestrator Dave Metzger, whose credits include “Frozen” and “Moana,” makes his feature-film debut as composer.
Watch the trailer below.
