CinemaCon 2023 is in full swing and one of the big announcements to come out of the event today was the reveal of Chris Pine as King Magnifico in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming CG-animated musical Wish. Announced back in 2022, Wish explores how the iconic wishing star came to be.
King Magnifico is the ruler of Rosas, a magical kingdom where wishes really do come true. Not much is known about King Magnifico except that he’s the most powerful person in the Kingdom. Early impressions based on the single image have led fans to speculate that King Magnifico could be the film’s villain – although that would feel a bit too much like Frozen, in my opinion.
On the casting of Chris Pine as King Magnifico, Jennifer Lee, executive producer and one of the writers for the film, said: “As the most powerful person in the kingdom, King Magnifico needed to be played by someone who could give all the charm, cleverness and charisma to this magnanimous character, and Chris is beautifully bringing all of that and then some.”
Chris Pine joins Oscar-winning West Side Story and Kraven the Hunter actress Ariana DeBose who stars in the film as Asha, a smart and driven optimist with a sharp wit whose impassioned plea to the stars calls down an actual star from the sky. “Impossibly curious and a little ball of boundless energy, Star is a giant beacon for chaos,” the initial synopsis teases. Alan Tudyk has already been announced as the voice of Valentino, a goat who wishes for the ability to communicate.
The animation of Wish, which certainly gives off Frozen vibes based on this single image, is said to be “inspired by watercolor illustrations of fairytales that fascinated Walt Disney, the look of the film blends a timeless watercolor style with contemporary 3D CG animation.”
Fans won’t have to wait too much longer for a first official look at Wish as Disney will share the first trailer on Good Morning America tomorrow. The company also promised “a special surprise,” which could be Ariana DeBose performing “More of Us,” an all-new original song from the film. DeBose performed the song at CinemaCon this year, with attendees blown away by the vocals.
Wish is set to arrive in theaters this Thanksgiving.