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9 facts you might not know about the making of Disney's animated movie 'Wish'
Kirsten Acuna
![9 facts you might not know about the making of Disney's animated movie 'Wish'](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticbiassets.in%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-106792207%2Cwidth-700%2Cheight-525%2Cimgsize-36386%2F9-facts-you-might-not-know-about-the-making-of-disneyaposs-animated-movie-aposwishapos.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
- "Wish" is Disney Animation's 62nd full-length feature.
- Here's what we learned about the making of the new movie from the directors and a behind-the-scenes book.
Disney's newest animated movie, "Wish," contains dozens of Easter eggs and nods to the classics before it, but it also contains real-world references.
Earlier this month, Business Insider spoke with the directors, producers, and an associate production designer to learn more about the making of the movie.
We also checked out the behind-the-scenes book, "The Art of Wish."
From how Princess Diana inspired attire in the movie to the military watchtower that informed King Magnifico's castle, here's what you may not know about "Wish."
"Wish" is supposed to be the origin story of the Disney wishing star seen in several movies.
!["Wish" is supposed to be the origin story of the Disney wishing star seen in several movies.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106844199,width-700,height-525,imgsize-31678/quotwishquot-is-supposed-to-be-the-origin-story-of-the-disney-wishing-star-seen-in-several-movies-.jpg)
"Wish" follows 17-year-old Asha as she attempts to retrieve and return her community's wishes from King Magnifico to their rightful owners, but the movie also serves as an origin story for Disney's famous wishing star seen in "Pinocchio" and "The Princess and the Frog."
According to "The Art of Wish," by Stephen Rebello and Kimmer Baughman, Asha's the first Disney hero to wish upon a star.
There are over 100 Disney Easter eggs in "Wish."
![There are over 100 Disney Easter eggs in "Wish."](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106844198,width-700,height-525,imgsize-19632/there-are-over-100-disney-easter-eggs-in-quotwish-quot.jpg)
Codirector Chris Buck ("Frozen") told BI the movie's many nods are a way to honor The Walt Disney Company's 100th anniversary.
Since the story is inspired by Disney Animation's legacy, an image from each of Disney's other 61 animated films was placed on a board to find a way to incorporate and celebrate the studio's vast history.
"We talked about making an original story with original songs, making sure that that was solid before we added all these layers. But now there's over a hundred nods," Buck said. "There's an Excel sheet that has all of them."
A cloak that Asha wears purposefully resembles the Fairy Godmother's from "Cinderella." The Evil Queen's poison apple from Snow White appears in King Magnifico's lair.
"Wish" ends with golden-line drawings of classic Disney characters from its other 61 animated features, including "Oliver and Company" and "The Great Mouse Detective."
Asha's seven friends are inspired by Snow White's dwarves, right down to their names.
![Asha](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106844195,width-700,height-525,imgsize-71844/ashaaposs-seven-friends-are-inspired-by-snow-whiteaposs-dwarves-right-down-to-their-names-.jpg)
Codirector Fawn Veerasunthorn told BI they thought it would be a great nod to Disney's first movie, 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," which was the first-ever full-length animated feature.
"Even the color palette, their costumes are the same color as the ones they're inspired by," Buck said, adding that each of Asha's friends shares a first initial with one of the famous seven dwarves.
Referred to in production as the "seven teens," Dahlia is Doc, Gabo is Grumpy, Hal is Happy, Simon is Sleepy, Safi is Sneezy, Dario is Dopey, and Bazeema is Bashful.
Star's face is inspired by Mickey Mouse.
![Star](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106844194,width-700,height-525,imgsize-57872/staraposs-face-is-inspired-by-mickey-mouse-.jpg)
Associate production designer Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay told BI that none other than Mickey Mouse inspired Star's soft-featured, heart-shaped face.
Character designer Bill Schwab additionally told Variety that panda bears and puppies inspired the celestial's curious and childlike personality.
Asha's shoes are a reference to Princess Diana's wedding slippers.
![Asha](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106844193,width-700,height-525,imgsize-80670/ashaaposs-shoes-are-a-reference-to-princess-dianaaposs-wedding-slippers-.jpg)
"Wish" is supposed to take place in the 1200s. While everyone else wears period-piece shoes, Asha's are more modern.
"That is our way of saying that she is ahead of her time," Sastrawinata-Lemay told BI.
Very ahead of her time.
In "The Art of Wish," Sastrawinata-Lemay said Asha's shoes were inspired by Princess Diana's wedding slippers, which were made by Clive Shilton and feature delicate flowers on the bottom with gold accents and a gold border.
King Magnifico's castle is inspired by a military watchtower in Spain.
![King Magnifico](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106844190,width-700,height-525,imgsize-63478/king-magnificoaposs-castle-is-inspired-by-a-military-watchtower-in-spain-.jpg)
According to "The Art of Wish," Seville's 12-sided Torre del Oro (which translates to the Gold Tower) served as inspiration for Magnifico's dodecagon villain castle.
"We developed a 'Magnifico style' for this using aggressive shapes, a lot of triangles and angles," David Womersly, art director of environments said in the book.
The Wishing Tree that Asha sits in is a nod, in part, to Walt Disney.
![The Wishing Tree that Asha sits in is a nod, in part, to Walt Disney.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106844188,width-700,height-525,imgsize-271214/the-wishing-tree-that-asha-sits-in-is-a-nod-in-part-to-walt-disney-.jpg)
Walt Disney spent hours on his family's Missouri farm lying under a giant tree he called the "Dreaming Tree" where he came up with some of his early ideas, according to "The Art of Wish."
A larger-than-life storybook was created for "Wish" similar to those created for "Snow White" and "Sleeping Beauty."
![A larger-than-life storybook was created for "Wish" similar to those created for "Snow White" and "Sleeping Beauty."](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106844187,width-700,height-525,imgsize-53044/a-larger-than-life-storybook-was-created-for-quotwishquot-similar-to-those-created-for-quotsnow-whitequot-and-quotsleeping-beauty-quot.jpg)
Large storybooks were produced for the openings of Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Sleeping Beauty."
"Wish" similarly starts on a digital storybook, but producer Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones told BI during the movie's press conference that they also made a physical prop book after the fact.
However, it wasn't used in the movie, much to the surprise of the directors.
Asha's grandpa, Sabino, is inspired by legendary Disney animator Milt Kahl's work.
![Asha](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-106844184,width-700,height-525,imgsize-44570/ashaaposs-grandpa-sabino-is-inspired-by-legendary-disney-animator-milt-kahlaposs-work-.jpg)
The character design for Asha's 100-year-old grandfather was inspired by the work of one of Disney Animation's early key animators, Milt Kahl, one of Disney's legendary Nine Old Men.
"In terms of design language, there's some real Walt Disney ethos in the character and a deep influence of the work of animator Milt Kahl, especially in his animation for the lawyer character Georges Hautecourt in 'The Aristocats,'" said art director Bill Schwab in "The Art of Wish."
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