Here's What To Expect If Wish Is Your First Disney Movie, According To Producers - Exclusive Interview
It almost feels like 100 years of Disney Animation have led up to the moment when "Wish" comes out in theaters. The studio returns to its roots by introducing another classic heroine, who like so many before her, wishes for something more. Going back to the days of "Pinocchio," Disney characters have wished upon a stars wanting something more for themselves and their loved ones. Asha (Ariana DeBose) does the same thing, and the film as a whole explores how important having those dreams and desires is to everyone.
There was a lot riding on the production to ensure "Wish" encapsulated everything Disney stands for, especially when it came to showing off Walt Disney's grand vision. This involved bringing on some big hitters like Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones to produce. They've both worked on many Disney projects in various capacities, and they've been brought together once more for "Wish."
Looper had the chance to interview the duo prior to the film's release, and they talked about why this movie is perfect for the studio at this moment in time. "Wish" caps off 100 years of Disney, and hopefully, it sets the stage for 100 more.
What makes Wish perfect to celebrate Disney's history
"Wish" has this message of taking charge and taking the steps to fulfill your dreams since you can't rely on someone to do it for you wholly. What made that theme ideal for "Wish" and its place in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Disney Animation?
Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones: Well, back in 2018, when Jen Lee became Chief Creative Officer, she noticed that the anniversary was coming up, and she was really fond of creating an original movie that had Disney as its spirit [and] that was a love letter to Disney Animation. We started to say, "What does Disney mean to all of us?" Words like "hope" and "joy" and "wishing" and "wishing on a star" came to the forefront, and that became our guiding light from the very beginning.
Literally, because of the Star.
Reyes Lancaster Jones: Literally a guiding light.
What was the thought process concerning the aesthetic of the film? How did you decide which aspects of Disney animation to pull from the past while simultaneously pushing those boundaries to set up what could be in the future?
Peter Del Vecho: Looking back to some of the classic movies, our production designer, Mike Giaimo, and his team — Lisa Keene, David Wormsley — wanted to pay homage to it by creating a watercolor look, yet we also wanted to have that feeling that it was a modern film going to the future. So [it was] the idea of creating a watercolor look and marrying characters to that kind of background, and using technology and camera work that we wouldn't normally expect to create something unique and special.
We didn't quite know how to do it when we started, although we built a lot on many of the shorts we've done in the past — "Paperman," "Feast," "Far from the Tree." To scale it up, to be able to do it in a full feature, was a challenge. But just like the story evolved, that process also evolved in time — fortunately for us — to make the movie.
Commemorating Burny Mattinson with Wish
"Wish" is dedicated to Burny Mattinson, who worked at Disney for 70 years. Was there anything from his style or his contributions to Disney over the years that you wanted to make sure was represented within "Wish," or were there any other animators or storytellers that you wanted to pay homage to with the film?
Del Vecho: A lot of us had the pleasure of working with Burny, and the one thing he always reminded us is that this should be a place of fun and joy, which we felt in this movie, working with the crew, working with the team. Everybody wanted to be a part of this movie. Everyone wanted to bring their A-game to it, and hopefully, you can feel that enthusiasm when you watch the movie.
Reyes Lancaster Jones: It comes from Burny, but then, we have all generations working in this movie. You have Chris Buck, who started in "Fox and The Hound," and you have Fawn [Veerasunthorn], who has her first time directing but has worked in so many movies. There's the spirit of a little bit of all of us in this movie.
Was there any part of the production process that was particularly fun for you — any challenges you overcame or found a fun solution to?
Del Vecho: Every day is a challenge. Whenever you walk into the building, whatever you think your day is going to be, it turns out to be something very different.
Reyes Lancaster Jones: That's what producing is.
Del Vecho: We're faced with challenges every day, but it's the collaboration [and] the teamwork that brings us the most joy. It's a very unique process, and it's what we take most pride in.
There's a great deal of world-building in "Wish," which takes place in a new land. A star comes out of the sky, and there are various rules concerning that magic. Were there any challenges presented in making sure all the puzzle pieces fit together so everything flowed smoothly, and you could tell the story you wanted to tell?
Reyes Lancaster Jones: The stories came for us, so we let it guide every decision. Even when we were looking at the Disney references or whatnot, it needed to feel very organic. Everything starts to work together. You're doing story, but then you're animating, and then Julia [Michaels] is coming in with original songs that inspire the screenwriters and the animators, and the production designers inspire the story as well. That's the beauty of our process.
Del Vecho: We're always trying to create a believable world — not necessarily a realistic one, but believable. By that time, you should get sucked into the movie and should believe that this world actually exists. To me, that's part of the fun of animation.
What Wish could represent for the future of Disney Animation
"Wish" will inevitably be someone's first Disney movie they watch, just like it might've been "Pinocchio" or "The Little Mermaid" before. What do you hope they take away from the film, and how do you want it to inspire the next generation of storytellers or animators who may come to work for Disney someday?
Reyes Lancaster Jones: This movie is all about joy, hope, and wishing, so that's what we want people to feel when they come out. [For] the people that it's their first movie, but also [for] someone that's 100 years old, like Sabino [voiced by Victor Garber] — it's never too late to reclaim your wish, say it out loud, and make it come true. The world can be hard. It can be a tough place, but there are things that will keep you going — like Star — that will bring you hope, and it's up to you to persevere. I hope that's the gift of "Wish."
"Wish" is a completely original idea, as opposed to much of Disney's catalog based on fairytales. Is there this hope that "Wish" can allow Disney to pursue other original ideas, perhaps drawing from folklore like "Wish" does, but pursuing other avenues like that?
Del Vecho: It was important to us to create an original fairytale with original characters and original songs, for sure. Every project is inspired by something. Usually, the director has an idea, and then we build on that idea. This being the 100th [anniversary], it seemed very important to create something original and something that gave homage to the past but also could live on its own into the future.
"Wish" releases in theaters on November 22.
This interview has been edited for clarity.