Wish directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn say that even they aren’t completely sure how many Disney references will be in the upcoming animated movie.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Buck said the upcoming animated Disney movie has a number of “legacy nods” to other films from the studio. The movie has so many of these legacy nods, in fact, that Buck believes there are some he and Veerasunthorn don’t even know about.
“They’re all over the movie,” Buck explained. “We are compiling a list, and I couldn’t tell you how long it is now. Each department puts things in and there’s some that we don’t even know are there yet, and we may not know until they tell us.”
What is Disney’s Wish about?
Announced in September 2022, Wish tells the origin story of the iconic wishing star that first appeared in 1940’s Pinocchio, the second movie ever made by Walt Disney Pictures. Produced by Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes, the movie features the voices of Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, and Alan Tudyk.
“Wish is an all-new story set in the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, an optimist with a sharp wit and a deep caring for her community, turns to the sky in a moment of need, and makes a wish,” the official synopsis reads. “Asha’s plea is answered by a cosmic force, a little ball of boundless energy, Star. Together, they will face the most formidable of foes 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.”
Wish is intended to commemorate Disney’s 100th anniversary celebration. It will be released in theaters alongside Once Upon a Studio, a short film that sees various Disney characters come to life within the company’s studio building.
“We wanted to make a movie that celebrates the joy of Disney and make a movie for the fans,” Buck said. “It’s a hundred years. The Disney audience has kept us going and kept this studio going, and so there’s so much of that.”
Wish soars into theaters on November 22, 2023.
