The Big Picture

Jennifer Lee, the Chief Creative Officer for Walt Disney Animation Studios, never imagined she would be in her current role but feels grateful for the support she has received. In the film Wish, there are various Easter eggs and nods to the legacy of Disney animation, with an emphasis on tracking the use of mirrors throughout the story. While incorporating elements from Disney’s history, the filmmakers also aimed to create a unique and fun story that stays true to the emotional journey of the main character, Asha.

Wish, the latest musical adventure from Walt Disney Animation Studios, introduces audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas and its 17-year-old resident idealist Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose). The love of her family inspires Asha to want to reunite her supportive mother and 100-year-old grandfather with the one true wish from their hearts, but that mission places her directly into the path of villainous ruler King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine), whose desire for power is hurting his entire community. And just when the task seems impossible to complete, the help of her favorite pajama-wearing goat Valentino (voiced by Alan Tudyk) and a cosmic ball of energy called Star will help Asha see that a little inner courage can go a long way.

During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, co-writer Jennifer Lee talked about what she brings to the projects at Walt Disney Animation Studios as the Chief Creative Officer for Walt Disney Animation Studios, her favorite nod to the legacy of Disney animation in Wish, staying focused on the emotional story, the song that helped define Asha, and what Pine brought to his villain song.

Wish Wish follows a young girl named Asha who wishes on a star and gets a more direct answer than she bargained for when a trouble-making star comes down from the sky to join her. Release Date November 22, 2023 Director Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn Cast Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Ariana DeBose, Evan Peters Rating PG Runtime 92 minutes Main Genre Animation Production Company Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

Collider: When we first spoke, several years ago, you were in a very different place in your life. Now, you’re the Chief Creative Officer for Walt Disney Animation Studios. How does that feel for you? Was that always a goal in the distance? Was it a wish you had for yourself, or was it something you never could have imagined?

JENNIFER LEE: I will say that it’s beyond what I could have ever imagined. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a Disney animator. I recovered from not being a good enough artist with my hands to move on to other things, but recognizing my love of Disney was there. And so, to be here was enough. To step into this role was and is surprising, of course, for me, and not where I was headed. But what was great, working with all the folks here and the support I got here, is that I understood why I was right, at the time. What I bring when I come into the rooms, I had been helping on a lot of films, where I wasn’t trying to decide the vision, but was trying to help them bring that vision forward, come in with solutions and what ifs for trying things, and freeing the room up to experiment and also to figure out to make something cohesive. Having the kind of training I’d had in screenwriting and the experience I’d had in the visual arts, I could combine those skills and it was very pragmatically what the rooms needed. For me, I, at least, understood what I could bring, but also knowing that for anything I felt like was needed, my job was, if I couldn’t do it, to make sure we were rounding out the studio with it.

Image via Disney

Being the CCO of Disney Animation Studios Takes the Support of a Team
It’s so cool because we don’t often get to see a woman in a position of power, like the one that you have. So, when you stepped into the role, did you step in with that confidence, or is that something you feel you’ve grown into?

LEE: What I stepped into the role with was a lot of support. I had worked on not just the Frozen films and the Wreck-It Ralph films, but I was on Zootopia and had helped in all the films, where I got to know the various crews, and I got to know so many folks in the studio, and I worked with them in the rooms. So, when it was announced, the tremendous support of folks here [at Disney] just gave me more of a charge to say, “I’m gonna do my best.” Some folks will say, “Yeah, good luck,” but we’re just human and we can only do certain things. If I stay focused on the work, that will be my true north because the rest can be overwhelming. I’m definitely an introvert living an extrovert’s life, so I have to make the space for that. And I am a filmmaker, so there’ll be a moment when I wanna go back to that, when I feel like it’s the right time for the studio, for sure. We’re all lucky to be a part of this. The job is not about me, it’s about making sure that I’m here for what the studio needs, and I’m making sure that happens when I’m not here too.

Which Easter egg in Wish, or nod to the legacy of Disney animation, is your personal favorite?

LEE: There are so many that I don’t wanna give away, but I will say that when it comes to Magnifico, start to track the mirrors throughout. It was something that was rising there without my awareness until I arrived at something I needed for the story, which will be obvious when you see it, and it was all there. It’s not a nod, but it was a critical moment in the climax of the film, and it was all there for me. It felt like, “Oh, my goodness.” I love that because it wasn’t a conversation, it was a discovery.

Image via Disney

Being Inspired by the Legacy of Disney Animation
When you do something like this, that is telling its own story, but is also embracing all of the history, is there a bit of wanting to do too much of that? Do you have to rein yourself back in?

LEE: Yeah, it was important. We decided, especially in the beginning, to just write straight what it is, without any of that. There were little things. Yes, Walt was inspiration for Asha, and so was Mickey for Star. Those were in my head. But it was about saying, “Asha is her own person, and it has to be its own journey.” And then, as you get into the playfulness, particularly of our board artists and our animators, environments and everyone that works on it, they start to play. We said, “Let’s play. Let’s have fun.” I said, “If it ever takes you out of the movie in a way that is harming the emotional story, we can’t do it. But if we’re having a silly moment and we wanna make it even sillier, let’s not take ourselves too seriously. This is supposed to be fun.”

We know these movies change a lot, the characters change, and they come and go. Was there a moment that Asha felt fully realized as who she is now?

LEE: Yeah, for me, the foundation of her actually came from Julia Michaels, when she wrote “This Wish.” I hadn’t even done the script yet. We were just in early conversations about the character and I felt like I found her youthful spirit. There was this drive and confidence in her, and then her constantly taking on responsibilities. There’s a moment in the climax that we were working towards, and to see how hard she’s willing to fight, I knew I could work backwards from there to her complete relaxed teenage silliness at the beginning that has not a care in the world. I was able to build it from that point to this point. Sometimes you have to go backwards. So, that was a critical moment.

What Chris Pine Brought to Magnifico
What was it like to hear the villain song for the first time?

LEE: Working with Chris Pine, he was so smart. He really brought that charm and that intellect. You could really believe him. I would buy into Magnifico’s philosophies, and then to see the minute when he’s getting the pressure put on him, his descension in that song is just so delicious.

Wish is now playing in theaters. Purchase tickets here.