Chris Pine belts out the tunes as the sorcerer Magnifico in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ WISH, and composer Julia Michaels raised the bar after hearing Pine’s singing range.
Academy Award®-winning actor Ariana DeBose joins Pine as the voice of Asha and Alan Tudyk as Asha’s favorite goat, Valentino.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ WISH is helmed by Oscar®-winning director Chris Buck (FROZEN) and Fawn Veerasunthorn, and written by Allison Moore and Jennifer Lee who also serves as an executive producer. Grammy®-nominated singer-songwriter Julia Michaels and Grammy®-winning producer-songwriter-musician Benjamin Rice wrote seven original songs, plus an original score by composer Dave Metzger for the animated film that celebrates Disney’s 100-year celebration.
WISH follows Asha who wishes upon a star and that star comes down from the sky to answer her call, but King Magnifico stands in her way.
Pine flexed his vocal cords before in Rob Marshall’s INTO THE WOOD (2014) under the musical direction of legendary composer Stephen Sondheim. However, that didn’t stop him from being a nervous wreck for WISH. "It's not my forte, it's not my background," he told Entertainment Weekly.
Chris Pine had every reason to be nervous when he was performing alongside Academy Award, Tony Award, BAFTA, and Primetime Emmy winner Ariana DeBose. Did the composers dumb down the tunes for someone not classically trained as a singer like DeBose? Songwriter Julia Michaels reveals that wasn't the case. Michaels was impressed with Pine’s range after his first test run, so she didn’t hold back moving forward for Magnifico’s other medleys.
“I had no idea that he could sing,” she told CineMovie during a press conference at the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, CA. “And the first song that we did for Chris Pine was ‘This Is The Thanks I Get,” and we kept it in this very fun, very cool cadence. And once I learned he could sing, I said, “Oh, you’re singing at all costs. We are going for it.’ He exceeded all my expectations. His voice is as buttery as his face.”
Pine’s animated character is also easy on the eyes, and ears in the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 62nd feature film, and one of the highlights.
WISH is now playing in movie theaters.
