Disney Animation has released a new clip from Wish and it features Wonder Woman and Star Trek actor Chris Pine showcasing his impressive singing voice as the villainous King Magnifico.
In a tune titled "This Is The Thanks I Get?!" we learn more about the character's outlook and some intriguing hints about what he brings to the table. It's been said on multiple occasions that Magnifico is a lot more complex than your typical Disney baddie and that certainly seems to be the case based on what's shown here.
In the movie, people come from all around the world to give their wishes to Magnifico, a charming and confident King who promises to grant their deepest desires - someday. But the King isn’t entirely altruistic; he alone decides whose wish will be granted, and he relishes the control.
"He’s charismatic; he’s handsome - and he knows it - but I think he truly believes their wishes are safest in his hands," said screenwriter/executive producer Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer for Walt Disney Animation Studios. "So when Asha exposes the flaw in his philosophy, he feels underappreciated and threatened."
Earlier this year, Wish producer Lancaster Jones said, "Casting [Magnifico] was super complicated. We put up an image of the character and we listen to people’s voices, just to see how that matches up. And I will say the first time that we put Chris Pine’s voice to that image, we immediately knew it had to be him."
"Of course, he is a very charming person, but he can also bring the scary into the character, and he has a fabulous singing voice."
You can listen to that singing voice - which we previously heard in Disney's live-action Into the Woods - in the player below.
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.
The cast is led by Ariana DeBose, who voices 17-year-old heroine Asha; Chris Pine, who lends his voice to the formidable King Magnifico; and Alan Tudyk, who will portray Asha's pet goat, Valentino. Supporting players include Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Evan Peters, Harvey Guillén, Ramy Youseff, Niko Vargas, Della Saba, and Jon Rudnitsky.
Oscar-winning director Chris Buck (Frozen) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (Raya and the Last Dragon) helm Wish based on a script by Lee and Allison Moore (Night Sky). The movie's original songs come our way from Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Julia Michaels and Grammy-winning producer/songwriter/musician Benjamin Rice, with a score by composer Dave Metzger (Moana).
Wish is set to be released in theaters on November 22.