It seems Disney Animation Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee extended her Annecy Film Festival promotional tour in June with additional stops in Rome and Barcelona.
While in Barcelona, she spoke with the media outlet, ecartelera.com, where she hyped up Walt Disney Animation Studios' upcoming 62nd animated film, Wish, which is currently set for release in North America on November 22, 2023.
The interview started out with Lee addressing the elevated number of references to other Disney animated films that eagle-eyed fans have spotted in previously released footage.
"I can’t reveal all the easter eggs but I’ll say the priority was the narrative. Then we had the opportunity to add some stuff to the script because they fit the narrative and some other things were the animators having fun," said Lee.
She went on to reveal that the film was inspired by a special Disney100 celebration video tribute that Wish co-director Chris Buck produced for the company's Centennial Celebration.
"Then, without having the script yet, we saw the video Chris (Buck) and our editor made with “A dream is a wish your heart makes” for the anniversary. And Chris wasn’t involved with this project as a director. The video inspired us, you could feel it. When we watched it, everything was clear: Wish. Because wishing is active. A dream is a dream, but a wish is a statement that I’ll act, that I’ll do something. We want to pay homage to that, but modernizing, it’s not enough to wish and wait for it to come true. Remember that it is your responsibility how far you’ll go to make your wish come true. But that starting point will feel like opportunities, not like difficulties. In that aspect the story was becoming something I have never experienced."
So far, there hasn't been much in the way of recent footage (other than a TV spot) released for the film but that figures to change in the coming weeks as we draw closer to the movie's release date.
Wish, which combines computer animation and traditional watercolor methods, will reveal the origin of the magic that has granted wishes in many Disney animated classics over the years.
This weekend, the company's Destination D23 Fan event will run from September 8-10 and it's thought that new information and a new trailer will be released for Wish.
On Sunday, Sept. 10, Becky Bresee and Wayne Unten, heads of animation on Wish, will have a special panel during morning presentations, according to the event's schedule.
In “Wish,” 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”), produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) and co-produced by Juan Pablo Reyes (“Encanto”).
Jennifer Lee (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) executive produces, and also co-wrote the script alongside Allison Moore (“Night Sky,” “Manhunt”).
With 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 only in theaters on Nov. 22, 2023.