MsMojo Can Fix It: Rewriting Disney's Wish
So I make this wish, to have something more for us than this. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re rewriting Disney’s “Wish.”
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00:00What are you up to? What makes you think that I'm up to something?
00:02Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're rewriting Disney's Wish.
00:14First announced in September 2022, Wish promised a story exploring the origins of the wishing star
00:20and an art style that combined cutting-edge computer animation with traditional 2D techniques.
00:25You kind of look like...
00:31a star.
00:32It sounded like the ultimate celebration of Disney animation,
00:35arriving just in time for the company's 100th anniversary.
00:38Wish reflected this historic year, which sadly saw more misses than hits for the mouse.
00:43Critically, Wish was the studio's most divisive film since Chicken Little.
00:47The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
00:49The film was another box office flop, losing an estimated 131 million dollars.
00:55Wish couldn't even outgross Encanto, which was released during a COVID surge
00:59and prematurely rushed from theaters to Disney+.
01:02Of course, Wish is no Encanto.
01:12Where it went wrong.
01:14Some blamed the songs, which had pleasant melodies,
01:17but lyrics that sometimes sounded like they were fighting to get out.
01:25And throw caution to every warning sign.
01:29Others pointed to the animation, arguing that Wish should have resurrected hand-drawn,
01:33gone all-in on CG, or spent more time perfecting the hybrid style
01:37that showed such promise in Paper Man.
01:39This might be forgivable if Wish had a solid story.
01:43People think wishes are just ideas.
01:47But no, no, they are a part of your heart.
01:50While the premise showed promise,
01:52Wish seems more concerned with referencing other Disney movies.
01:55Even then, the film doesn't understand how Easter eggs work.
01:58The best Easter eggs are usually the subtle ones you don't catch right away.
02:02In Wish, the Easter eggs aggressively reach out to the audience,
02:06practically screaming,
02:08Hey, we're referencing The Seven Dwarfs!
02:10What is going on in there?
02:11Why are you all sweaty?
02:11You can tell us anything!
02:12For a film about the Wishing star,
02:14the film doesn't explore the nuances of wishing.
02:17I know I wished on a but... no... yes?
02:22King Magnifico says some wishes are too ambitious to grant.
02:25A fair point.
02:26Wishes can have unforeseen consequences.
02:29In Rosas, though, every wish is worth pursuing,
02:32with one controlling gatekeeper standing in the way.
02:34I decide what everyone deserves.
02:37Magnifico would have been a more interesting villain
02:39if he once granted a wish that ended in disaster,
02:42like the destruction of his home village.
02:44The film quickly throws out any of Magnifico's complexities,
02:47sporadically turning him into an over-the-top egomaniac
02:50who isn't very funny or menacing.
02:52When you're threatened, you do not breathe, you focus.
02:58His plan isn't even that evil,
02:59since Rosas' population doesn't appear to be suffering without their wishes.
03:03How do we fix it?
03:05While Disney won't be remaking Wish anytime soon,
03:08that doesn't mean we can't wish for something more.
03:10Wait, do you grant wishes?
03:12The first step is cutting pointless supporting characters
03:15like Asha's friends and the talking animals,
03:17who only exist for the sake of Disney branding.
03:20What the film needs is a strong emotional anchor.
03:23Asha wanting to retrieve her grandfather's wish gets the plot rolling,
03:26but that storyline is resolved before the climax.
03:29And everyone agrees there is no one more deserving than my grandfather.
03:36The central dynamic should have been between Asha
03:39and her late father Tomás, a philosopher.
03:41In our version, Tomás could be equal parts astrologer and astronomer,
03:45furthering his connection to the stars.
03:47My father said that we were connected to the stars.
03:50We open with a young Asha sitting in a tree with her father,
03:53who tells her about the constellations and how the stars guide us.
03:56Her father also suggests that stars can grant wishes,
03:59which Asha does not believe.
04:01Look at the stars.
04:03The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars.
04:08Tomás admits that the stars don't always answer.
04:10Even when they do, the wisher must do their part too.
04:13Yet he knows that when you wish upon a star, dreams can come true.
04:34Asha asks how he knows this.
04:36He says because his wish came true, but he doesn't share what it was.
04:40Asha's family is visited by King Magnifico,
04:42who reveals the kingdom is in a dire situation.
04:45The roses in Rosas no longer bloom, and the rest of the plant life is dying.
05:05Asha's mother, who's a baker in this version,
05:07has heard from the local farmers that crops haven't been growing,
05:10limiting Rosas's food supplies.
05:12Magnifico has acquired a celestial map to a distant island
05:15possessing mysterious dust that can revive the Earth.
05:18The king plans to make the journey with his knights,
05:20asking Tomás to be their navigator given his knowledge of the stars.
05:29Tomás agrees, bidding Asha and his wife a loving farewell.
05:32A month passes with no word,
05:34prompting Asha to wish upon a star for her father's safe return.
05:37To her shock, the star she wishes upon vanishes from the night sky.
05:43Oh look! A star's going out!
05:46The next morning, Magnifico returns to Rosas with a boatload of golden dust,
05:50which makes plant life grow with just a sprinkle.
05:52Tomás is nowhere to be found, however.
05:54Magnifico claims he fell overboard on the voyage home,
05:58leaving Asha and Sequina devastated.
06:05Fast forward, Asha's now 18.
06:08Rosas is thriving even though it's been several years
06:10since the dust brought the plants back.
06:12The remaining dust is sealed away in a giant vault.
06:15Asha spends her days making food deliveries for her mother.
06:18Oh madam, the delivery girl is here.
06:21Asha often finds herself befriending the patrons.
06:23Dropping off a cake for an old man's 100th birthday,
06:27Asha learns he wants to write a song that'll inspire future generations.
06:31A most loving and handsome man who turns 100 years old today.
06:36Asha helps with a lyric he's been struggling with,
06:39putting the old man on the path to fulfilling his wish.
06:41As in the original film, this pays off in the post-credits scene.
06:50Although Asha has a knack for aiding others,
06:52she's unsure what she wants from life.
06:54Asha spends her nights studying the stars,
06:56continuing her father's research.
06:58While she's given up on the idea that stars grant wishes,
07:01she holds onto her father's parting words,
07:03When uncertain, look up at the stars to guide you.
07:14Gazing through her telescope, Asha is shocked to find a new constellation.
07:18Even more jarring, the stars begin to move,
07:21forming a city resembling Rosas engulfed in flames.
07:24Asha pulls away in horror.
07:26When she looks back, the constellation has vanished.
07:28Fearing her premonition will become a reality,
07:31Asha rushes to the castle.
07:33She connects with Queen Amaya, who believes they should heed Asha's warning.
07:36I had the most terrible vision.
07:38Magnifico writes it off as a nightmare, though,
07:41insisting that Rosas is safe and stronger than ever under his rule.
07:45Amaya grabs Magnifico's hand in hopes of making him reconsider.
07:48Please, put that book down.
07:51When she does, Asha notices that Amaya's hand glows through Magnifico's,
07:55as if he was made of dust.
07:57Looking alarmed, Magnifico dismisses Asha and storms off.
08:00Uncertain of what to do, Asha wishes upon a star to keep Rosas safe at all costs.
08:05This time, the star does not go out.
08:07It falls from the sky, crashing into the forest.
08:10Asha tracks it down, finding a fading star and a wand by its side.
08:23Picking up the wand, Asha feels a surge of energy, as if she's now bound to it.
08:27Not entirely sure what she's doing, Asha waves the wand,
08:30and the star springs back to life.
08:32But what am I supposed to do with it?
08:34Be our fairy godmother?
08:36This is, of course, Star.
08:37But let's call the character Luna here, because Star is a pretty uninspired name.
08:41How did I manage to connect with a star all the way across the sky?
08:45Suddenly, a hooded figure emerges from the shadows.
08:47We don't see the figure's face immediately,
08:49but her cloak resembles that of Cinderella's fairy godmother.
08:52So the stars have chosen another, the figure says.
08:55As Asha asks, another what?
08:57She's blasted through the sky, landing on another world.
09:01The hooded figure tells Asha this is Wishopolis,
09:04introducing herself as Ares, a fairy godparent.
09:06Why then you must be your fairy godmother?
09:10Of course.
09:11What follows is a lot of world-building, perhaps best expressed through song.
09:15Ares explains that when a star is wished upon, it embodies that wish.
09:19A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep.
09:33Once fulfilled, the star forever shines.
09:35If not, the star turns to dust containing magical properties.
09:39Wishopolis is the source of wish-granting magic.
09:41To spread this magic, the stars bestowed wands to 12 people throughout history,
09:46dubbing them fairy godparents.
09:47These wands have restrictions,
09:49only allowing godparents to use so much magic at a time.
09:52Oh my gosh, she's got my magic wand!
09:55Even with limited magic,
09:57godparents help put people on the right path toward pursuing their dreams.
10:01The first 12 godparents share the same names and personality traits
10:04as astrological signs.
10:05Asha has been chosen as the 13th godparent.
10:09That's easy.
10:11Just keep wishing.
10:12Some wishes are so grand that they require the efforts of all the godparents.
10:16Once in a blue moon, the godparents gather to grant that special wish,
10:20which drains Wishopolis of nearly half its magic.
10:23The magic isn't restored to its full power until the next blue moon.
10:27There was once enough magic to grant hundreds of wishes monthly.
10:38As humans became more divided, Wishopolis' magic began to wane.
10:42If humans became more united, the magic may grow stronger.
10:46As the newest godparent, Asha is entitled to have her wish granted.
10:50When I made a wish, a star came down.
10:52This is not what I expected or intended.
10:55But first, she must prove herself a true godparent.
10:58Asha is asked to pick a random star out of the sky and grant a wish.
11:02She isn't sure why, but Asha gravitates toward a particular star.
11:06This star embodies the wish of a pregnant woman named Dahlia,
11:09who dreams of delivering a healthy baby.
11:12Okay, hi, hi, uh, hi!
11:14I'm Dahlia.
11:16Accompanied by Luna, Asha is sent to Dahlia's home on a remote island
11:19with withering plant life and only a few inhabitants.
11:22The villagers say Dahlia ventured into the island's forbidden forest that morning.
11:26Okay, uh, I have a few thousand questions.
11:29The forest is forbidden because of the shadowy creatures that lurk within.
11:36Dahlia defied these rules,
11:38insisting there was something in the forest she needed to find.
11:41Her horse returned, but Dahlia hasn't.
11:43Asha strikes out into the forest with her wand and Luna,
11:46combating the creatures that inhabit it.
11:48Okay, I can do this.
11:51What?
11:53Come on, come on, come on, please!
11:54Eventually, Asha finds Dahlia in labor beside a carriage.
11:58Asha uses her wand to make the carriage grow a set of legs,
12:01carrying her and Dahlia back to the village.
12:03Work for me, stick!
12:07Oh dear!
12:07Help!
12:10The islanders help Asha to deliver Dahlia's baby boy, who isn't breathing.
12:14The doctor previously told Dahlia that her baby wasn't well,
12:17and it'd take a miracle for him to survive birth.
12:20Dahlia thus went out and found a miracle.
12:22So I make this wish!
12:26Dahlia points to her carriage,
12:27which is full of the same golden dust that Magnifico brought to Rosas years ago.
12:31Although there is a trove of dust,
12:33Dahlia instructs Asha to only sprinkle a drop on her son,
12:36which she does.
12:38With that, the baby beams to life.
12:40Dahlia thanks Asha for saving her son, who she names Tomas.
12:43It's no coincidence that Dahlia chose the same name as Asha's father.
12:47I think I remember your father.
12:49Really?
12:50Dahlia tells Asha that the island was once prosperous
12:53thanks to the stardust that fell from above.
12:55The stardust isn't without drawbacks.
12:57You can blame my friends on the other side!
13:04Now what you want it for?
13:06The shadowy creatures in the Forbidden Forest were once people
13:09who consumed too much of the dust pursuing their selfish needs.
13:12Our lands were destroyed by selfish, greedy thieves.
13:17When used in moderation, though, stardust can heal people and the Earth.
13:21The islanders collected stardust throughout generations,
13:24storing enough to last several lifetimes.
13:27Then one day, the island was invaded by a distant kingdom,
13:30which turns out to be Rosas.
13:32Creed what?
13:33A rebellious mob, perhaps?
13:36To inspire them to do what?
13:38Destroy Rosas, maybe?
13:40Outnumbered with no weapons,
13:41the islanders were powerless against Magnifico and his army
13:44from taking their stardust.
13:46Asha's father defied Magnifico,
13:48saying this wasn't what he signed up for.
13:50What's happening?
13:54No, no, no.
13:55In a struggle, Magnifico killed Tomas as he protected the islanders.
13:58When the island was invaded,
14:00Dahlia wished for someone to keep her people safe.
14:02Tomas fulfilled that wish,
14:04but Asha's went unanswered as a result.
14:06Dahlia names her baby after Tomas in his memory,
14:09unaware that the man who saved her is Asha's father.
14:12The stars are there to guide us.
14:15Asha is overwhelmed learning this,
14:17but remains reserved.
14:18The islanders thought Magnifico took all of their stardust.
14:21Now that is power.
14:23The other day, though,
14:24Dahlia uncovered an ancient diary,
14:26revealing more stardust was hidden in the Forbidden Forest.
14:30Determined to save her baby,
14:31Dahlia set out to find it.
14:33Dahlia regrets not discovering the diary sooner,
14:35as most of the islanders have already left.
14:38Left for what?
14:39Asha asks.
14:40Dahlia says that the island has spent years
14:42building weapons and ships to attack the kingdom
14:44that stole from them.
14:45It dawns on Asha that this was her premonition
14:47about Rosas's grim fate.
14:49Having granted Dahlia's wish,
14:51Asha returns to Wishopolis a full-fledged godparent.
14:54My baby!
14:55Asha!
14:56I'm so happy for you!
14:58The other godparents assemble for a wish-granting ceremony.
15:01Luna, the embodiment of Asha's wish,
15:03takes center stage as everyone breaks out their wands.
15:06As she casts the spell with the other godparents,
15:09Asha has a vision of the islanders nearing Rosas
15:12as a tidal wave comes their way.
15:13Knowing everyone aboard will drown,
15:15Asha says this isn't what she wanted.
15:18Aerie says that wishes can have unforeseen consequences
15:21beyond even their control.
15:22Although Asha is told it's too late,
15:24she goes rogue,
15:26renouncing her wish and making the tidal wave evaporate.
15:29Asha is at first relieved,
15:31only to realize the ships are still headed for Rosas.
15:33What's worse, Asha's interference has drained Wishopolis
15:36and everyone's wands of their magic.
15:38A fading Luna lies on the ground,
15:40on the verge of turning to stardust.
15:42The stars are out tonight!
15:45Oh, except for you.
15:47We're going to have to wait a little longer
15:49Oh, except for you.
15:52With the invasion of Rosas underway,
15:54Asha holds Luna in her hands.
15:56Breaking down, Asha feels she's failed everyone,
15:58especially her parents.
16:00Aries attempts to comfort Asha,
16:02saying she could never disappoint her parents.
16:04Oh, Asha, no.
16:06When Asha asks how she could know this,
16:08Aries points to another star,
16:10revealing a wish her parents made.
16:12Holding an infant Asha while looking up at the stars,
16:15Sakina wishes for her daughter to grow up brave,
16:18truthful, and unselfish,
16:20inspiring everyone she touches.
16:21There you are.
16:25Oh, my beautiful wish.
16:27Sakina asks Tomas if he's going to make a wish too.
16:30Tomas cradles little Asha, saying,
16:32I was going to, but she already came true.
16:35You're the true star, Asha.
16:36This memory inspires Asha to save Rosas,
16:39hitching a ride on a shooting star back home.
16:42Valentino!
16:44The star lands in Rosas,
16:46cracking a vault where the stardust has been held.
16:48This gets everyone's attention as Asha announces
16:51what Magnifico did years ago.
16:53You've been deceived.
16:55Magnifico is not the man he claims to be.
16:59Showing his true colors,
17:00Magnifico admits that while Rosas needed the stardust
17:03to save their plant life,
17:04he had ulterior motives.
17:06Magnifico has also been using the stardust's
17:08rejuvenating abilities to keep himself young and healthy,
17:11further corrupting his mind.
17:13Mirrors, mirrors on the wall,
17:15who is the handsomest?
17:18Me!
17:19Unwilling to surrender,
17:20Magnifico jumps into the stardust,
17:22becoming one with it.
17:23Magnifico morphs into a shadowy monster
17:25that takes on various shapes,
17:27including a dragon,
17:28a giant snake,
17:29and a tentacle titan.
17:31Gotta work a few Disney references in there.
17:33Now I am the king of all the oceans!
17:36As Magnifico attacks Rosas,
17:38Asha pleads with her people and the islanders
17:40to make a wish for unity.
17:42We are stars.
17:50So I look out at the stars just like me.
17:55Everyone is initially resistant,
17:57but once Queen Amaya and the island's leader
17:59take the first step,
18:00others join in this wish.
18:02This brings a surge of power to Wishopolis,
18:04recharging Asha's wand.
18:06So I make this wish.
18:10To have something more for us than we are.
18:15Asha attempts to defeat Magnifico,
18:16but still isn't strong enough.
18:18Out of the blue,
18:19the other godparents arrive
18:20with the power of their wands,
18:22along with a revived Luna.
18:24So I look out at the stars just like me.
18:29And draw no caution to everyone.
18:33Their combined magic pushes Magnifico
18:35to the Cove of Rosas,
18:36where another tidal wave creeps behind him.
18:38The wave pulls Magnifico into the waters,
18:41and he vanishes for good.
18:42Before we continue,
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18:58A few more years go by.
19:00Rosas and the islanders are now allies,
19:03working together to spread stardust
19:04across the world so all can prosper.
19:07They are everything.
19:09Wishopolis has grown more powerful,
19:11allowing more wishes to be granted.
19:13Asha's come into her own as a godparent.
19:16Along with Luna,
19:17she visits Dahlia and young Tomás,
19:19who recognizes Asha as his fairy godmother.
19:21Asha can't stay long though,
19:23as she has other wishes to grant.
19:25The end credits display characters
19:26from all of Disney's animated features,
19:29except this time,
19:30each of them is seen wishing upon a star.
19:34So do you like our version better
19:42than the movie we got?
19:43Do you think ours is worse?
19:45How would you change Wish?
19:46Would you change it?
19:47Let us know in the comments.
19:49I'll take that as a yes.
19:51Do you agree with our picks?
19:52Check out this other recent clip
19:54from Ms. Mojo.
19:55And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
19:57to be notified about our latest videos.