Reunion of all the Disney heroes in a short film, fairy tale for Christmas paying homage to the lucky star of Pinocchio. Mickey’s studio is going all out by reconnecting with its fundamentals to celebrate its centenary in a gloomy context, marked by a wave of layoffs.
A symbolic anniversary obliges, Disney, which is celebrating its centenary this year, was represented in force at the 47th Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
In addition to a screening of the next Pixar, Elementaryor a masterclass from its star designer Eric Goldberg (Aladdin, Pocahontas), Disney has unveiled the first images of its traditional end-of-year film, Wish, Asha and the lucky star.
We discover Asha, a 17-year-old mestizo, asked to become the apprentice of King Magnifico, capable of granting the wishes of his subjects. Disappointed by the sovereign-magician, misunderstood by her grandfather (aged 100) and her mother, she leaves her house and begins to sing… Before making a wish through which a ball of energy appears in the shape of a star named Star. Upon contact, plants and animals begin to speak… and sing.
“These films are made for theaters”
“Wish will be released in cinemas And “won’t be coming to Disney+ anytime soon because these movies are made for theaters, especially this one, in Cinemascope“, rejoiced with AFP its creator, Jennifer Lee, also creative director of the Disney animation studios.
Its launch being scheduled for November 29 in France, it will thus avoid the fate reserved for Avaloniareleased straight to Disney+ last year due to the American firm’s dissatisfaction with the media timeline.
The opposite would have surprised, Wish being born from the will of Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, a tandem already at the helm of Snow Queento celebrate the centenary of the group.
“We wondered how to pay homage to 100 years of stories while refreshing and renewing them”explained the one who wanted to write a “original fairy tale”not adapted from a book.
“Love letter”
The character of Star “kind of represents everything Disney has been. It is hope, wonder, joy. It doesn’t make your dreams come true for you, but it’s there to remind you that you can persevere.”she added.
The tribute also goes through the original graphics (3D mixed with 2D) of this film inspired by The Sleeping Beautyhitherto only tested by Disney in short films, at a time when the competition is innovating, such as Sony with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse.
But, on Friday, the real star of Annecy was the short film once upon a studiowhich will precede Wish in theaters and was greeted with a standing ovation. Produced over two years, this “love letter” mixing 2D and 3D brings back some 500 Disney heroes, from Donald to Elsa via Stitch or Aladdin’s Genie.
For this long-term project, “99% of the desires we had were granted, it’s unheard of”Dan Abraham, one of its creators, told AFP. “So many people at the studio came up to us and said, ‘I have to participate,’ it was really great.”
Profitability at half mast
The Disney group is not, however, going through the happiest period in its history: in search of profitability for its streaming platforms, including Disney+, which lost subscribers for the first time at the end of 2022, the firm announced this winter the dismissal of 7 000 people.
If she finds her way back to the big screen, especially with Elementary which arrives in theaters on Wednesday in France, it also continues to expand its online content.
Pixar will deliver its very first long-form television series on Disney+, Win or Loseon the mixed team of softball of a college, of which an episode of about twenty minutes was projected Friday in Annecy.
The big-eared studio also continues to advocate diversity, in Wish as in his next children’s series Disney Junior Arielwhich features a little black mermaid.