MAJOR SPOILERS for Disney’s Wish lie ahead, so proceed with caution.
Disney’s latest film, Wish, is here and the animated production is all about taking fans down memory lane in regard to the House of Mouse’s legacy. With that, it's fitting that it coincides with the company’s 100-year anniversary. But outside of Wish’s loads of Disney easter eggs, there’s a standout arc in the musical that CinemaBlend got to geek out with its writer, Jennifer Lee, who explained a moment in the film that gives her "a chill every time." And it also just happens to be my favorite moment in the movie.
I spoke to Jennifer Lee, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ chief creative officer and Wish writer, at the company's animation building in Burbank, California. And during our chat, she shared why King Magnifico’s wife, Queen Amaya is actually a major highlight of the movie for her. As she shared:
We wanted a queen who stood out equally to [King Magnifico] in the sense that she's not the magical one, but they founded [the kingdom] together. That she believes in the philosophy, but when she sees things shift, what is she gonna do? And, in the song ‘Knowing What I Know Now,’ when that door comes open and then she walks through it, I get a chill every time because I've not seen that before. But it also is like, that's also a measure of leadership. When you see a wrong, can you defy your own personal choices for the betterment of others? And, I think that that's one of the things I love about her.
During the conversation (which you can also check out in the video above), Jennifer Lee shared with CinemaBlend that Queen Amaya’s arc is particularly touching for her because of how she must react to her husband when she no longer agrees with his values. In the middle of one catchy number in Wish involving Asha and her friends, Amaya surprises the gang when she steps out to sing her own verse and help them in their mission to stop Chris Pine’s deliciously villainous character when he gets out of control. Lee continued:
It's so fun to talk about, because I'm always like, whenever she slams the door, I go, ‘Yes!!’ And, yet she's honest. She sings about the love that you know, that she's blinded by the love she found and she's honest, she's human.
I love that I got to speak to the Oscar-winning creative about this moment in particular because, as I shared above and with her, it’s a favorite scene of mine. While there are numerous elements of the movie that feel familiar from prior Disney movies (perhaps leading to critics being split on Wish) the journey that Queen Amaya goes on is unexpected and rather fulfilling to watch unfold. The Frozen co-director also said this about crafting King Magnifico as the story's antagonist:
Magnifico, I think from him struggling with having his wish having been destroyed as a child and understanding that pain, it drove his heart to build something that in some ways could be very aspirational. But, once he's tested, once he feels challenged, you start to see the flaws and cracks in him, and I think that's always a measure of character when. It's not your greatest moments, it's your toughest moments and the choices you make. And so to see his sort of dissension, all made by his own choices, but to see that and to go on the journey with him was really exciting.
In a lot of ways, this is a story about how power can ruin people if they grab too much of it and become possessive of their strength over others. King Magnifico starts off as a ruler who doesn’t seem inherently evil, because he's granting others wishes. But as he's challenged by Ariana DeBose’s Asha, he dives deeper into his pursuit of power and starts to alarm his greatest supporter.
While Asha is the main protagonist of the film, Queen Amaya is arguably even more heroic than she is. I'd make that argument because she has to move aside her years of love and passion for her husband to do what is right. And that's something this viewer can appreciate.
You can check out our review of Wish, which is now playing in theaters and is one of the biggest titles on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases. Also, stay in the know on upcoming Disney movies that are on the docket.
