At the Wish long lead press day we were treated to about thirty minutes of footage, including four songs. Here’s our reaction to it.
Disney’s Wish Footage & Songs Reaction
During the long lead press day for Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Wish, which hits theaters on November 22nd, we were treated to around thirty minutes of footage (several split up scenes) that included four of the seven original songs.
The entire room filled with press from all over the world was blown away by what we saw, and rightfully so. It is apparent that Disney has made sure to create something that is visually unique, while still has the feel and magic of Disney that fans are used to.
Here’s what we thought about the Wish footage and songs. In an effort to avoid spoilers, we will only lightly detail the scenes that we have seen and will focus more on our reaction and thoughts.
Wish Scene One (featuring Welcome to Rosas)
From what we saw this feels like the opening scene of Wish, or very close to it. Asha heads to her job as a tour guide for people who are thinking of relocating to Rosas. She is running late, and skids to a stop in front of a group that is waiting for her. Then, she bursts into song explaining the city that they live in, King Magnifico, and what happens with their wishes.
Welcome To Rosas is the perfect way to explain everything to viewers. It has the same feel as The Family Madrigal from Encanto. It is there to bring the audience in at a level where they are left with no questions surrounding Rosas. It is catchy and fun, and will most certainly be stuck in the heads of everyone who watches Wish. This song is a great way to kick things off, and will have viewers tapping their toes and trying to sing along.
Related: Disney’s Wish Characters Explained
Wish Scene Two (featuring This Wish)
Disney fans were first introduced to the song This Wish at the D23 Expo in 2022 when Ariana DeBose, voice of Asha, performed in on stage. Trust us though when we say you haven’t seen anything yet. This already incredible song is elevated through the visuals and moment in the story. We hate to make comparisons, but This Wish is to Wish what Let It Go is to Frozen. All of the songs we heard were amazing, but we think this is going to be THE song that comes out of this film.
It is extremely emotional, especially when you learn of the events surrounding it and what inspired Asha to sing it. It is one of the turning points in the film and will move many people to tears because of the weight that it holds.
Wish Scene Three (featuring I’m A Star)
This Wish sets the tone, but then I’m A Star drives the messaging home. Almost an immediate follow up, after the arrival of Star, who everyone will fall in love with, the forest animals and nature come together to sing a song to Asha, explaining to her how they are all connected.
There are several visual nods to Disney legacy films throughout the sequence, because of course there are. While these are present throughout the entire film, what better place to reference some Disney classics than a song from singing animals. Coupled together with This Wish, this is one of the most emotional and touching scenes that we were shown during the press day.
Wish Scene Four (featuring This Is The Thanks I Get)
Disney fans have not been quiet about hoping for a true villain and now they are getting one. All you have to do is take one look at the trailer – even the teaser trailer – and it is clear that King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine) is a Disney villain, and has the potential to be one of the greatest. We an confirm that this is one hundred percent accurate after viewing the full This Is The Thanks I Get sequence.
Talk about a perfect villain song, this song is sure to send shivers down your spine and make your blood curdle. Magnifico is not happy about how the townsfolk are acting. He feels that they are being needy, and after everything he has done for them, this is the thanks he gets?
Chris Pine is phenomenal, we all know this, but wow. His song performance here takes things to a whole new level. Magnifico is going to be one of those characters that everyone loves to hate. Everyone in the room was cheering at the end of this song. Easily the best of the bunch (well, for those who love a villain anyways), we can’t wait to see what fun surprises he has in store for us.
Be sure to see exactly why we have fallen in love with Wish when hits theaters on November 22nd.
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About Wish
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wish” is an all-new 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.
Featuring the voices of Academy Award®-winning actor Ariana DeBose as Asha, Chris Pine as Magnifico, and Alan Tudyk as Asha’s favorite goat, Valentino, the film is helmed by Oscar®-winning director Chris Buck (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (“Raya and the Last Dragon”), and produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones (“Encanto”). Jennifer Lee (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) executive produces—Lee and Allison Moore (“Night Sky,” “Manhunt”) are writers on the project.
Wish features original songs by Grammy®-nominated singer/songwriter Julia Michaels and Grammy-winning producer/songwriter/musician Benjamin Rice, plus score by composer Dave Metzger.
Wish opens exclusively in theatres on November 22nd.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.