Can Wish Get Disney Animation Studios Back On Track At The Box Office?
Walt Disney Animation Studios is one of the most storied studios in the history of Hollywood. From "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to "Frozen" and everything in between, we're talking about the studio behind some of the biggest, greatest movies ever made, and not just limited to animation. But the pandemic hit the studio pretty hard, with last year's "Strange World" serving as one of its biggest bombs in recent memory. Now, this year's Thanksgiving frame will see the studio get back in the ring with a brand new original animated film in the form of "Wish." The question is, can this movie get Disney's storied animation shingle back on track at the box office?
Things are currently looking promising for "Wish." Per box office tracking provided by Deadline, it is currently expected to bring in around $50 million across the five-day Wednesday to Sunday stretch, as it will be opening mid-week to get in on the Thanksgiving holiday. Box Office Pro has similarly optimistic projections, with the outlet pegging the five-day opening anywhere between $57 and $86 million. For the regular three-day weekend, the film is looking at a possible $40 to $60 million opening.
This is all very good news. If projections hold, it would be the best opening weekend for an original animated film since 2017's "Coco," which took in $72.9 million over the same five-day Thanksgiving frame. Not to get ahead of things here, but that film went on to make a stellar $814 million worldwide. Granted, that total includes a terrific $603 million from overseas markets. Even so, if "Wish" can pull in over/under $200 million domestically, it would be very encouraging. The film reportedly carries a steep $200 million production budget but, even in light of that, this would be a solid start
Getting Disney animation back on track
Directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, "Wish" centers on Asha, a sharp-witted idealist who makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force called Star. Asha and Star must confront the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico, in order to save her community. The film has a fair amount of star power, with Ariana DeBose ("West Side Story") and Chris Pine ("Star Trek") leading its voice cast. Luckily, with the Screen Actors Guild Strike finally over, the actors can head out for a last-minute promotional tour to increase awareness.
Amazingly enough, we have to go back to 2019's "Frozen II" ($1.45 billion worldwide) to find the last time Disney Animation scored a theatrical hit. As mentioned, 2022's "Strange World" was an epic disaster, topping out at just $73 million worldwide against a budget of at least $135 million (but perhaps as high as $180 million). The way things are shaping up, "Wish" will make more than that in less than a week at the domestic box office alone. Beyond that, 2021's "Raya and the Last Dragon" was released in theaters the same day it hit Disney+ via "Premiere Access," while that same year's "Encanto" only made $230.9 million against a $150 million budget before becoming a bigger hit on streaming.
Reviews and word-of-mouth could be key (read our review here). Yes, families are going to get out and see "Wish" over the holiday. But if moviegoers recommend it to others in their circle, this could potentially leg out through Christmas. As the industry continues to recover from the pandemic, any time an original movie can break through and become a hit theatrically, it's a big win. Here's hoping this one goes the distance.
"Wish" hits theaters on November 22, 2023.