What is the Wish release date? Get ready to head to the Magical Kingdom, because a brand new Disney movie has just arrived on the big screen and is here to make sure all your animated dreams come true. As long as you wish for it, that is.
Wish is a magical story set in the fictional kingdom of Rosa – located off of the Iberian Peninsula. Directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, Wish marks the 62nd animated Disney movie for the House of Mouse. Production on the animated movie was first announced back in 2022, and now, after waiting for a year, fans will be pleased to hear that Wish has finally arrived! Here’s everything you need to know about the new movie.
Who’s in the Wish cast?
In classic Disney fashion, the Wish cast list is packed with stars, like Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, and West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose in the leading role.
Coming off her gig in the one of the best musicals of 2022, Ariana DeBose voices the leading role of Asha – the 17-year-old girl who is tasked with saving the kingdom of Rosas.
Chris Pine, of Star Trek and Wonder Woman fame, stars as King Magnifico and is hoping to join the ranks of the best movie villains. And finally, Alan Tudyk, who recently starred in the Disney live-action movie Peter Pan and Wendy, voices the cute goat sidekick Valentino.
Here’s the Wish cast list:
- Ariana DeBose as Asha
- Chris Pine as King Magnifico
- Alan Tudyk as Valentino
- Angelique Cabral as Queen Amaya
- Victor Garber as Sabino
- Natasha Rothwell as 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
- Della Saba as Bazeema
Wish release date and reviews
Wish was released on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, in theaters worldwide, and opened to mixed reviews.
This means that the new movie came out out in the same year that Disney is celebrating its 100-year anniversary – making it double special for all of us Disney fans.
Wish is exclusive to cinemas and will run for the standard theatrical window of 45 days (at least) before becoming available to watch on streaming services.
The movie is currently sitting at 42% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 83% Audience Score. It looks like things are very split between critics and audiences! The general consensus seems to be that while the movie is often charming, warm, and fun, it doesn’t really give us anything new.
John Nugent from Empire wrote: “An appropriate tribute to Disney, by itself. It hardly breaks any ground — it’s simply there to celebrate the ground the studio was built on.”
Meanwhile, Lovia Gyarkye from The Hollywood Reporter said: “Even during its more successful moments, Wish’s magic falls flat. The film is weighed down by its purpose: to revel in Disney nostalgia while soaring into the future.”
What is Wish about?
Wish tells the story of Asha, who wishes on a star only to get more than she bargained for once a trouble-making celestial plummets down to earth.
Set in the magical kingdom of Rosas, King Magnifico rules over the world thanks to his claims that all wishes can come true if they are given to him. However, King Magnifico’s perfect façade isn’t without a few cracks, as the 17-year-old girl Asha senses a darkness in the world.
Taking matters into her own hands, Asha wishes to the stars for help, and her pleas are answered once an adorable star with magical powers comes down from its high home to assist Asha in her quest to save the day.
Wish features plenty of fun action scenes, such as an infiltration into King Magnifico’s palace and glittery star attacks. And, of course, since it’s a musical, expect plenty of new, memorable Disney songs, too.
Here’s the official Wish synopsis from Disney:
“Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Wish is an animated musical-comedy welcoming audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force—a little ball of boundless energy called Star.”
“Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico—to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.”
Is there a Wish trailer?
Yes! The first trailer for Wish was released on April 27, 2023, and gave fans their first look at the upcoming film’s story and unique art style.
In the clip, we got our first looks at Asha and King Magnifico against the backdrop of a landscape that combines both 2D and 3D animation.
In the clip, you will get to see how Wish uses classic Disney watercolor animation with the 3D style that we’ve seen in some of the best family movies recently.
Not only is the teaser filled with story information, giving us glimpses at all the main characters and their fantastical world, but it captures how Wish is a love letter to Disney as a whole (I’m not crying, you are).
There was a full trailer then released on September 27, and gave us a more more insightful look into Asha and her community.
Where can I watch Wish?
Wish is available in theaters now, having been released on November 22, 2023. If you were hoping to catch the animated movie online, sorry, but you’ll have to wait.
Wish is set to have a theatrical exclusive run — meaning that it will only be available to watch in theaters at least for the standard 45-day window — before it can head to other platforms.
However, once the theatrical exclusive run is up, fans will be able to watch Wish on Disney Plus. So don’t worry; viewing options are coming; they will just take a while to hit our small screens.
And that is everything that we know about the upcoming Disney movie Wish! While we wait on more news, why not check out our guides on everything you need to know about the Frozen 3 release date, and the Zootopia 2 release date? We’ve also got a breakdown of all the best Disney songs and best Disney Plus movies of all time.
For a long read, check out our feature on why classic Disney princesses aren’t unfeminist, or why Mickey Mouse isn’t just a Disney icon, he is living history. Or, for more top picks, here is our list of the best movies of all time.