Wish is chock-full of Disney Easter eggs and references to the studio's incredible history, ranging from the subtle and sneaky to the very obvious.
With the multiverse currently in vogue, you might be wondering if that means Wish is opening the door to an interconnected Disney universe.
When 12DOVE sits down with directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, along with co-writer and Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer Jennifer Lee, we ask them each the big question: is Wish setting up a Disney multiverse?
"I think the concept of a Disney multiverse has come up so many times from people, just all the little hints, [like] Rapunzel in Frozen and things like that," says Lee, referring to a quick, blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in the first Frozen movie that sees Tangled's Rapunzel and Flynn walking through Arendelle. "And we always love to play with that amongst ourselves, too. We talk about things like that. So this, we said, 'Look, let's just have some fun.'"
That doesn't quite mean there's a fully-fledged multiverse, though. "The logic – I'm sure someone's going to do a map and the logic doesn't pan out in terms of when things were, I totally get that," Lee continues. "But at the same time, it was just really fun to almost not take yourself too seriously, and acknowledge that this is really all of us."
Lee also has a very unique take on the concept of a multiverse, which aligns with a classic Disney ideal. "With the Easter eggs to me it was more about, not even like a multi-universe, but more about what we all share," she says. "Because that's the part that I love most about Disney, is it's all of ours, and we all grew up on it. It's 100 years old, which means it's older than most of us. But it's something that we share that is positive, and it brings us together.
"And so to just have those nods – I'm travelling the world, and I'm sitting in audiences where we're connecting with the same things, and we didn't grow up anywhere near each other, and in completely different lives," she says. "And that's something that, in this world right now, feels more rare than maybe it could. So I think we really wanted to say, 'Let's celebrate the multiverse of us actually carrying these memories.' So we could start there, and the rest I'm sure everyone will tell us what we got right or wrong."
Hidden surprises
But as co-director Buck explains, Wish's many Disney Easter eggs were never meant to distract from the story the film is telling. "We knew we wanted to just get the story solid first, and then layer in all these nods to our legacy. We didn't ever want the nods to get in the way of the story or to stop anything," he explains. "So it was always just an additional thing. And you'll see some characters show up and will surprise you, others there are things in the background of certain scenes that you might not know."
According to Buck, one Easter egg – with personal significance for him – will be very difficult to spot. "There's one that I really will dare the viewers to find," he teases. "And that is, the artists surprised me. I was the supervising animator on Grandmother Willow in Pocahontas. So Grandmother Willow is in a forest scene. I'm not gonna say which one, but somewhere in the forest, she's back there. So kudos if you can find her."
Some of the film is also very much inspired by Walt Disney's life and his story, in possibly the most meta Disney reference of all. "Walt, when he was a kid, used to dress up the farm animals in clothes, so we have little Valentino in his pyjamas," says Buck of Wish's adorable goat sidekick.
But Walt was also an inspiration for Asha, the film's determined dreamer. "And then the other thing is Walt's story of trying to make Snow White," Buck says. "Nobody believed in that, but he did, he was very passionate about that. He knew that an audience would want to see a feature length animated movie. And so his story actually inspired Asha's story in that, not giving up, believing what she believes is true and the right thing, and with all the obstacles that she has to go through, finally she is – well, I don't want to give it away."
After credits surprise
Of course, in a film overflowing with references and Easter eggs, the filmmakers are bound to have favorites. "After the credits finish, there's something very special at the end," hints Veerasunthorn. ("It's worth it," agrees Buck.)
Lee thinks the same. "The one that comes at the very end, after the credits are done," she says of her pick. "That's my favourite one for sure."
When GR+ tells her Buck and Veerasunthorn had the same choice, Lee says: "I think because it's one we talked about, and it never felt [in]organic, but something we just thought would be lovely. And so they surprised me with it, actually, and I got emotional."
But, Veerasunthorn also has another choice – one you might have to search for to spot. "It's not as elegant," she says. "But I love Beauty and the Beast, and I was looking for a place to put a little cup that has a chip on it. I was looking everywhere. And I'm like, 'I know it's not that important, we're focusing on an original fairy tale.' [I] finally found a place for it."
Wish is in UK cinemas this November 24 and US theaters now. You can check out our guide to all the upcoming Disney movies for everything else the studio has in store.
