How ‘Snow White’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty’s’ Storybook Opening Inspired Disney’s ‘Wish’

variety.com:

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor What better way to celebrate 100 years of Disney Animation than a movie about the brand’s famous wishing star?

After all, so many Disney characters, dating back to “Pinocchio’s” Jiminy Cricket, look to the stars and cast their dreams and hopes on them.

With 61 feature films preceding it, “Wish” is filled with nods to Disney’s animation legacy. Set in Rosas, a magical kingdom built on wishes, “Wish” follows Asha, a 17-year-old girl voiced by Ariana DeBose, who aspires to be the King’s apprentice.

But when she discovers the King’s true motives, she finds herself in a forest and wishes on a star. The film’s storybook opening pays homage to Disney’s early films: 1937’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” 1940’s “Pinocchio” and 1959’s “Sleeping Beauty.” Directors Chris Buck (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) knew the film would feature original characters and music, but since the studio was celebrating its centennial year, they wanted to celebrate how far Disney’s animation style had come, from its original 2D style to 3D computer-generated imagery. “How do we celebrate the CG technology now and also look to the future and where the studio is going?