MsMojo Can Fix It: Rewriting Disney's Wish

MsMojo Can Fix It Rewriting Wish

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re rewriting Disney’s “Wish.”

First announced in September 2022, “Wish” promised a story exploring the origins of the wishing star and an art style that combined cutting-edge computer animation with traditional 2D techniques. It sounded like the ultimate celebration of Disney Animation arriving just in time for the company’s hundredth anniversary. “Wish” reflected this historic year, which sadly saw more misses than hits for the Mouse. Critically, “Wish” was the studio’s most divisive film since “Chicken Little.” The film was another box office flop, losing an estimated $131 million. “Wish” couldn’t even outgross “Encanto,” which was released during a COVID surge and prematurely rushed from theaters to Disney+. Of course, “Wish” is no “Encanto.”

Where It Went Wrong

Some blamed the songs, which had pleasant melodies but lyrics that sometimes sounded like they were fighting to get out. Others pointed to the animation, arguing that “Wish” should’ve resurrected hand-drawn, gone all in on CG, or spent more time perfecting the hybrid style that showed such promise in “Paperman.” This might be forgivable if “Wish” had a solid story. While the premise showed promise, “Wish” seems more concerned with referencing other Disney movies. Even then, the film doesn’t understand how Easter eggs work. The best Easter eggs are usually the subtle ones you don’t catch right away. In “Wish,” the Easter eggs aggressively reach out to the audience, practically screaming, “Hey, we’re referencing the seven dwarfs!”

For a film about the wishing star, the film doesn’t explore the nuances of wishing. King Magnifico says some wishes are too ambitious to grant - a fair point! Wishes can have unforeseen consequences. In Rosas, though, every wish is worth pursuing with one controlling gatekeeper standing in the way. Magnifico would’ve been a more interesting villain if he once granted a wish that ended in disaster like the destruction of his home village. The film quickly throws out any of Magnifico’s complexities, sporadically turning him into an over-the-top ego-maniac who isn’t very funny or menacing. His plan isn’t even that evil since Rosas’ population doesn’t appear to be suffering without their wishes.

How Do We Fix It?

While Disney won’t be remaking “Wish” anytime soon, that doesn’t mean we can’t wish for something more. The first step is cutting pointless supporting characters like Asha’s friends and the talking animals, who only exist for the sake of Disney branding. What the film needs is a strong emotional anchor. Asha wanting to retrieve her grandfather’s wish gets the plot rolling, but that storyline is resolved before the climax. The central dynamic should’ve been between Asha and her late father, Tomás, a philosopher. In our version, Tomás could be equal parts astrologer and astronomer, furthering his connection to the stars. We open with a young Asha sitting in a tree with her father, who tells her about the constellations and how the stars guide us.

Her father also suggests that stars can grant wishes, which Asha doesn’t believe. Tomás admits that the stars don’t always answer. Even when they do, the wisher must do their part too. Yet, he knows that when you wish upon a star, dreams can come true. Asha asks how he knows this. Tomás says because his wish came true, but he doesn’t share what it was. Asha’s family is visited by King Magnifico, who reveals the kingdom is in a dire situation. The roses in Rosas no longer bloom and the rest of the plant life is dying. Asha’s mother Sakina, who’s a baker in this version, has heard from the local farmers that crops haven’t been growing, limiting Rosas’ food supplies.

Magnifico has acquired a celestial map to a distant island possessing mysterious dust that can revive the earth. The king plans to make the journey with his knights, asking Tomás to be their navigator given his knowledge of the stars. Tomás agrees, bidding Asha and Sakina a loving farewell. A month passes with no word, prompting Asha to wish upon a star for her father’s safe return. To her shock, the star she wishes upon vanishes from the night sky. The next morning, Magnifico returns to Rosas with a boatload of golden dust, which makes plant life grow with just a sprinkle. Tomás is nowhere to be found, however. Magnifico claims he fell overboard on the voyage home, leaving Asha and Sakina devastated.

Fast-forward, Asha is now 18. Rosas is thriving even though it’s been several years since the dust brought the plants back. The remaining dust is sealed away in a giant vault. Asha spends her days making food deliveries for her mother. Asha often finds herself befriending the patrons. Dropping off a cake for an old man’s 100th birthday, Asha learns he wants to write a song that’ll inspire future generations. Asha helps with a lyric he’s been struggling with, putting the old man on the path to fulfilling his wish. As in the original film, this pays off in the post-credits scene. Although Asha has a knack for aiding others, she’s unsure what she wants from life.

Asha spends her nights studying the stars, continuing her father’s research. While she’s given up on the idea that stars grant wishes, she holds onto her father’s parting words, “When uncertain, look up at the stars to guide you.” Gazing through her telescope, Asha is shocked to find a new constellation. Even more jarring, the stars begin to move, forming a city resembling Rosas engulfed in flames. Asha pulls away in horror. When she looks back, the constellation has vanished. Fearing her premonition will become a reality, Asha rushes to the castle. She connects with Queen Amaya, who believes they should heed Asha’s warning. Magnifico writes it off as a nightmare, though, insisting that Rosas is safe and stronger than ever under his rule.

Amaya grabs Magnifico’s hand in hopes of making him reconsider. When she does, Asha notices that Amaya’s hand glows through Magnifico’s, as if he was made of dust. Looking alarmed, Magnifico dismisses Asha and storms off. Uncertain about what to do, Asha wishes upon a star to keep Rosas safe at all costs. This time, the star doesn’t go out. It falls from the sky, crashing into the forest. Asha tracks it down, finding a fading star and a wand by its side. Picking up the wand, Asha feels a surge of energy, as if she’s now bound to it. Not entirely sure what she’s doing, Asha waves the wand and the star springs back to life.

This is of course Star, but let’s call the character Luna here because Star is a pretty uninspired name. Suddenly, a hooded figure emerges from the shadows. We don’t see the figure’s face immediately, but her cloak resembles that of Cinderella’s fairy godmother. “So, the stars have chosen another,” the figure says. As Asha asks, “Another what?,” she’s blasted through the sky, landing on another world. The hooded figure tells Asha this is Wishopolis, introducing herself as Aries, a fairy godparent. What follows is a lot of worldbuilding perhaps best expressed through song. Aries explains that when a star is wished upon, it embodies that wish. Once fulfilled, the star forever shines. If not, the star turns to dust containing magical properties.

Wishopolis is the source of wish-granting magic. To spread this magic, the stars bestowed wands to twelve people throughout history, dubbing them fairy godparents. These wands have restrictions, only allowing godparents to use so much magic at a time. Even with limited magic, godparents help put people on the right path toward pursuing their dreams. The first twelve godparents share the same names and personality traits as astrological signs. Asha has been chosen as the thirteenth godparent. Some wishes are so grand that they require the efforts of all the godparents. Once in a blue moon, the godparents gather to grant that special wish, which drains Wishopolis of nearly half its magic. The magic isn’t restored to its full power until the next blue moon. There was once enough magic to grant hundreds of wishes monthly. As humans became more divided, Wishopolis’ magic began to wane. If humans became more united, the magic may grow stronger.

As the newest godparent, Asha is entitled to have her wish granted. But first, she must prove herself a true godparent. Asha is asked to pick a random star out of the sky and grant a wish. She isn’t sure why, but Asha gravitates toward a particular star. This star embodies the wish of a pregnant woman named Dahlia, who dreams of delivering a healthy baby. Accompanied by Luna, Asha is sent to Dahlia’s home on a remote island with withering plant life and only a few inhabitants. The villagers say Dahlia ventured into the island’s forbidden forest that morning.

The forest is forbidden because of the shadowy creatures that lurk within. Dahlia defied these rules, insisting there was something in the forest she needed to find. Her horse returned, but Dahlia hasn’t. Asha strikes out into the forest with her wand and Luna, combatting the creatures that inhabit it. Eventually, Asha finds Dahlia in labor beside a carriage. Asha uses her wand to make the carriage grow a set of legs, carrying her and Dahlia back to the village. The islanders help Asha to deliver Dahlia’s baby boy, who isn’t breathing. The doctor previously told Dahlia that her baby wasn’t well and it’d take a miracle for him to survive birth. Dahlia thus went out and found a miracle.

Dahlia points to her carriage, which is full of the same golden dust that Magnifico brought to Rosas years ago. Although there’s a trove of dust, Dahlia instructs Asha to only sprinkle a drop on her son, which she does. With that, the baby beams to life. Dahlia thanks Asha for saving her son, who she names Tomás. It’s no coincidence that Dahlia chose the same name as Asha’s father. Dahlia tells Asha that the island was once prosperous thanks to the stardust that fell from above. The stardust isn’t without drawbacks. The shadowy creatures in the forbidden forest were once people who consumed too much of the dust pursuing their selfish needs. When used in moderation, though, stardust can heal people and the earth.

The islanders collected stardust throughout generations, storing enough to last several lifetimes. Then one day, the island was invaded by a distant kingdom, which turns out to be Rosas. Outnumbered with no weapons, the islanders were powerless against Magnifico and his army from taking their stardust. Asha’s father defied Magnifico, saying this wasn’t what he signed up for. In a struggle, Magnifico killed Tomás as he protected the islanders. When the island was invaded, Dahlia wished for someone to keep her people safe. Tomás fulfilled that wish, but Asha’s went unanswered as a result. Dahlia names her baby after Tomás in his memory, unaware that the man who saved her is Asha’s father. Asha is overwhelmed learning this, but remains reserved.

The islanders thought Magnifico took all of their stardust. The other day, though, Dahlia uncovered an ancient diary, revealing more stardust was hidden in the forbidden forest. Determined to save her baby, Dahlia set out to find it. Dahlia regrets not discovering the diary sooner, as most of the islanders have already left. “Left for what?” Asha asks. Dahlia says that the island has spent years building weapons and ships to attack the kingdom that stole from them. It dawns on Asha that this was her premonition about Rosas’ grim fate. Having granted Dahlia’s wish, Asha returns to Wishopolis a full-fledged godparent. The other godparents assemble for a wish-granting ceremony. Luna, the embodiment of Asha’s wish, takes center stage as everyone breaks out their wands.

As she casts the spell with the other godparents, Asha has a vision of the islanders nearing Rosas as a tidal wave comes their way. Knowing everyone aboard will drown, Asha says this isn’t what she wanted. Aries says that wishes can have unforeseen consequences beyond even their control. Although Asha is told it’s too late, she goes rogue, renouncing her wish and making the tidal wave evaporate. Asha is at first relieved, only to realize the ships are still headed for Rosas. What’s worse, Asha’s interference has drained Wishopolis and everyone’s wands of their magic. A fading Luna lies on the ground, on the verge of turning to stardust.

With the invasion of Rosas underway, Asha holds Luna in her hands. Breaking down, Asha feels she’s failed everyone, especially her parents. Aries attempts to comfort Asha, saying she could never disappoint her parents. When Asha asks how she could know this, Aries points to another star, revealing a wish her parents made. Holding an infant Asha while looking up at the stars, Sakina wishes for her daughter to grow up brave, truthful, and unselfish, inspiring everyone she touches. Sakina asks Tomás if he’s going to make a wish too. Tomás cradles little Asha, saying, “I was going to, but she already came true. You’re the true star, Asha.” This memory inspires Asha to save Rosas, hitching a ride on a shooting star back home.

The star lands in Rosas, cracking a vault where the stardust has been held. This gets everyone’s attention as Asha announces what Magnifico did years ago. Showing his true colors, Magnifico admits that while Rosas needed the stardust to save their plant life, he had ulterior motives. Magnifico has also been using the stardust’s rejuvenating abilities to keep himself young and healthy, further corrupting his mind. Unwilling to surrender, Magnifico jumps into the stardust, becoming one with it. Magnifico morphs into a shadowy monster that takes on various shapes, including a dragon, a giant snake, and a tentacled titan. Gotta work a few Disney references in there!

As Magnifico attacks Rosas, Asha pleads with her people and the islanders to make a wish for unity. Everyone is initially resistant, but once Queen Amaya and the island’s leader take the first step, others join in this wish. This brings a surge of power to Wishopolis, recharging Asha’s wand. Asha attempts to defeat Magnifico, but still isn’t strong enough. Out of the blue, the other godparents arrive with the power of their wands along with a revived Luna. Their combined magic pushes Magnifico to the cove of Rosas where another tidal wave creeps behind him. The wave pulls Magnifico into the waters and he vanishes for good.

A few more years go by. Rosas and the islanders are now allies, working together to spread stardust across the world so all can prosper. Wishopolis has grown more powerful, allowing more wishes to be granted. Asha has come into her own as a godparent. Along with Luna, she visits Dahlia and young Tomás, who recognizes Asha as his fairy godmother. Asha can’t stay long, though, as she has other wishes to grant. The end credits display characters from all the Disney animated features, except this time, each of them is seen wishing upon a star.

So, do you like our version better than the movie we got? Do you think ours is worse? How would you change “Wish?” Would you change “Wish?” Let us know in the comments!