Disney+ subscribers’ wish has come true, as the Mouse House’s latest animated movie will soon be available to stream. It will begin streaming April 3.
“Wish” takes place in the magical kingdom of Rosas, where everyone carries their own “wish” around with them. Ariana DeBose plays 17-year-old Asha, who applies to become the apprentice of King Magnifico, voiced by Chris Pine. However, Asha soon finds that Magnifico is stealing the wishes from his people, under the benevolent guise of freeing everyone from their chief desires.
One night, Asha makes a wish so big that it calls forth a glowing yellow star, a cute character aptly named Star. Asha and Star then face off against Magnifico, who, threatened by the prospect of losing his royal power, has turned to dark magic. Accompanied by her friends and family, Asha works to restore the wishes of the kingdom and save her people from Magnifico’s corruption.
“Wish” underperformed at the box office when it opened over Thanksgiving weekend, generating a paltry $31.7 million over five days despite projections reaching $45 to $50 million. The animated musical landed in third place behind “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” and “Napoleon.”
Comparatively, Disney’s “Encanto” took in $40.3 million over its first five days when it premiered in 2021. Still, despite poor critical reception, “Wish” garnered an 81% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
In his review, Variety chief film critic Owen Gleiberman described “Wish” as a “visually pleasing, eminently watchable slice of enchanted product — with a plot that’s both mildly touching and slightly strange.”