WISH Gets Streaming Premiere Date on Disney+

Published: March 20, 2024

WISH Gets Streaming Premiere Date on Disney+

By Movieguide® Contributor

Disney’s new animated movie, WISH, will premiere on Disney+ on April 3.

Per Deadline, “WISH takes us to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha (DeBose), a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force — a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe — the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico (Chris Pine) — 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.”

The movie stars Chris Pine, Ariana DeBose, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral and Victor Garber.

Movieguide® cautions against WISH’s “Strong Romantic worldview [that] stresses personal wishes and dreams and says at one point that people are basically good.” However, the movie also promotes “family, justice, truth, liberty against tyranny, and making the world a better place.”

Part of Movieguide®’s review reads:

WISH is a spirited, often funny and charming, allegorical fantasy. It has lots of jeopardy, good music and a strong warning about giving too much power to leaders. However, it has a Romantic worldview saying people are basically good. WISH also promotes having personal wishes without consulting God. That said, the movie promotes family, justice, truth, liberty against tyranny, and making the world a better place. Finally, although the heroine in WISH searches for guidance among the stars, the movie shows that using magic to control people is evil.

Despite a poor box office debut, garnering only $31.7 million over Thanksgiving weekend, there are high hopes that the movie will succeed on Disney+.

The studio’s struggle at the box office in recent years has surprised many following its massive success in the early 2000s and 2010s.

“Disney set an impossibly high bar for itself during the 2010s, firing every cannon in its arsenal,” said Shawn Robbins, the chief analyst at Boxoffice Pro. “The downside to success is that it becomes expected every time. The studio was always going to be in a challenged position when the well started to run dry.”

Another downside for Disney and other studios was the pandemic.

“It’s not just Disney,” added Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations. “The other studios have also suffered setbacks in this post-pandemic world. That said, Disney’s misfires certainly are the most prolific considering where they are now versus where they were. And where were they? On the box office throne. Nearly untouchable. Now? Mere mortals.”

While these are both factors, Movieguide® has previously explained that Disney is struggling because of the agenda behind the stories.

Movieguide® said:

After Walt Disney Animation Studios’ STRANGE WORLD and Disney Pixar’s LIGHTYEAR failed to draw expected numbers at the box office, many fans wondered how the one-time undisputed leader in animated family films could fall so far, so fast.

STRANGE WORLD earned just over $25M despite its estimated $180M budget, while the TOY STORY spinoff failed to impress with only a $50M opening weekend and a slew of negative reviews from mainstream outlets.

The one consistency between the two movies? Their focus on a progressive agenda over a creative story, uplifting and moral lessons, and compelling characters.