Wishcontinues its complicated journey in movie theaters, with the latest film fromWalt Disney Animation Studiospassing $209 million at the global box office. While the musical directed byChris BuckandFawn Veerasunthornhas proven to have legs at the box office, its reported $200 million budget means that it won’t turn a profit for the studio. But even if the project didn’t reach the goals the company wanted, the situation can still be optimistic. As it turns out, this weekend allowedWishto cross a major milestone when it comes to the animated movie landscape, with the fairy tale joining a very exclusive club.
In a year when several animated movies made an impact at the box office,Wishis officially the fourth-highest grossing animated production of 2023, fallong behindThe Super Mario Bros. Movie,Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, andElemental. While Asha’s (Ariana DeBose) story is far away from the time whenZootopiaearned over $1 billion,Wish’s performance shows that Disney could slowly be coming back to the days when movie theaters were packed every time they released a new animated movie, setting the stage forthe sequels they’re currently working on.
The premise ofWishdeals with Asha wanting to become King Magnifico’s (Chris Pine) apprentice in order to get close to her grandfather’s wish. The king has the power of taking people’s hopes and dreams away from them, only giving them back when he deems it worthy. When the young girl realizes that the monarch is only using his power for his own benefit, she must come up with a plan to take him down, in a musical that featuresAlan Tudykas the voice of Valentino, a talking goat. And like any classic Disney musical,Wishgave Magnifico his own number to explain his plan.
Who is Behind the Music of ‘Wish’?
The songs ofWishwere written byJulia MichaelsandBenjamin Rice, with the pair allowing Asha to introduce audiences to her world through the power of her music. The fact that Michaels and Rice were hired marks a turning point for Disney, who had previously collaborated withLin-Manuel Mirandafor titles such asEncantoandMoana, and withRobert LopezandKristen Anderson-Lopezfor theFrozenfilms. Michaels and Rice studied a century’s worth of Disney animated productions to come up with the perfect melodies and lyrics for Asha’s story.
Wishis currently playing in theaters.
Wish follows 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.
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