One artist gave me a list of Disney animator feedback and complaints regarding Wish:
The overall animation looked unfinished, especially the animated crowds, lighting, and clothing simulation. The response was that this was intentional (supported by the “making of” documentary). The faces in the back of the crowd were unfinished to replicate how Walt did it in Sleeping Beauty.
The attempt at 2D animation with 3D technology was a massive failure. It was too heavy-handed in some places and not used enough in others. The look constantly pulled audiences out of the story. This happens when you fire an entire staff that worked at the studio for decades and try to mimic Walt’s artistic vision without their knowledge or experience.
The songs seemed forced into the film and didn’t feel like a Disney musical. The “Making of” documentary spoke to how it was a bold move on Lee’s part to hire pop songwriters Julia Michaels (who worked with Justin Timberlake and Dua Lipa) and Benjamin Rice for Wish, instead of relying on the Disney tradition of hiring Broadway lyricists and composers, like Alan Menkin, Stephen Schartz, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Please, someone quickly tally up the Best Song nominations Wish got compared to every Disney musical since The Little Mermaid. Also, who’s families are singing Wish songs on long trips?
Lastly, Wish focused too much on the audience’s “love” of Easter Eggs.
Even the Public Knew This Would Be Bad
Speaking of Easter Eggs, Jennifer Lee leaned too heavily into an audience’s desire to hunt for Easter Eggs versus telling a good Disney classic story. An insider reached out to me regarding the Wish Easter Eggs. This source attended several audience test screenings of Wish—the first in February of 2023. In the first screening, 5% of Wish was fully animated, with 85% being storyboard animatics. Much of the criticism from the audience spoke to confusion with the overall story and character motivations. It was perceived that the moderator wasn’t looking for story feedback but was more interested in whether they saw all the Easter Eggs.
About a month later, another test screening was conducted. Though more of the film had been animated, none of the story feedback from the first session had been incorporated into this version. This particular screening was catered explicitly to “Disney Adults,” who said they visit Disneyland several times yearly. The moderator kept probing into how many Disney references they caught…they caught five.
Example of fixed camera with no depth of field. Uninspired and bland. © 2023 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
“The buck stopped at the very top with Jennifer Lee.”
Further harping on Easter Eggs, a significant section of the “Making of” documentary was devoted to the subject—again because we all love Easter Eggs. For example, Asha was supposed to be a young Fairy Godmother. Cinderella‘s Fairy Godmother used her magic to create a carriage from a pumpkin. Thus, pumpkin seeds were sewn into Asha’s costume. She also wore a pumpkin seed anklet. How’s that for an Easter Egg? Did you notice it? I sure didn’t.
The last dumb point in the “Making of” documentary surrounds Asha’s dress, which is purple. Disney hired a “Cultural Consultant” (i.e., Grifter) to tell the production staff that their use of the color purple was fortuitous as the color purple in North African cultures means “hope”—coinciding with the translation of the name Asha. Good job, creators! Already, you were spiritually connected with your story’s time and culture. Yet, simple research on the internet shows that the color purple in North African culture refers to “prosperity” and “royalty,” going back to the Phoenicians who traded purple cloth as symbols of “wealth.” Next time, instead of hiring a cultural grifter, you’re better off hiring an astrologer. These huckters are cheaper and will ALSO tell you everything you want to hear.
Disney’s Death Wish
When Wish came out…four months ago, the public would cast the final judgment on Jennifer Lee’s master vision. With a production budget of $200 million and accompanied by a massive Disney 100 marketing push, Wish would earn $19.6 million domestically over the Thanksgiving weekend and almost $64 million in total domestic box office. Thankfully for Disney, the international audiences don’t know any better, bringing in over two-and-a-half times the domestic take of $176 million. It’s estimated that the losses for Wish ranged from $200 to $230 million.
So, how did we get here? The problem with Wish began from the start. As I’ve shown in Part 1, Jennifer Lee had taken her place on Walt’s throne to rule as Walt Disney Animation Studios President. She removed the old guard of veteran animators with anyone whom she could trust and who would align with her vision. The Old White Guys club was replaced by a new generation of Tumblr artists and Gen-Z Millenial Yes-persons, who went on to produce the first in a line of Disney Animated flops in Strange World. Holding to her vision, Lee proudly took on the mantle of producing the Walt Disney 100th anniversary feature and, from the beginning, locked in on her own ideas, listening only to those who would agree with her and shutting down anyone who warned her about the dark path this film was heading down. Pride comes before a fall, and this is what happens when one person believes she knows how to tell a story better than even Walt Disney.
I could write even more articles about the problem with Wish, from story to music, and how the film violates almost every basic rule of art and film composition. It’s hard not to feel bad for the rank-and-file Disney artists, whose professional reputations were hurt by this movie despite their warnings. The buck stopped at the very top with Jennifer Lee.
On deck for Lee is a quickly converted television show to feature film, Moana 2, set for Thanksgiving and feverishly being produced in Canada, and the space adventure Elio, set for 2025. In the next D-Files, what exactly is the future of Disney Animation…and their move out of Hollywood and the U.S.?
It has been very entertaining and informative reading these series of articles, thank you! When will part 6 release?
As someone who was at animation for 11 of the Eisner years, I can say for certain she would have been fired (or demoted) long ago. This is what happens when you let a newish screenwriter run an animation studio. If it weren’t for her luck that Frozen had good lyricists she would not be in this position. They need to LET HER GO. And where is Clark Spencer (head of the animation studio)? Hiding out until Zootopia 2 is done and he can slip out the door?
Reading theses files makes so much sense of what is happening in industries worldwide. Men with knowledge and experience being pushed aside for inexperienced and completely unqualified women. In the mining company my husband works for the story is the same with a document controller suddenly becoming head of help desk. My husband has been shoved aside and the reporting to HR on minor transgressions has seen him lose money. Luckily he is still employed but in a lower role – still doing the sane job while a less qualified female takes the credit. I have no idea how this is going to end.
Excellent article, but as a life long lover of Disney, this breaks my heart. And, it seems so illogical that there can be flop after flop, and yet no one seems to be held accountable. What’s worse is that those in charge double down on their “vision”, e.g Jennifer Lee, Kathleen Kennedy, Leslye Headland. I can’t remember ever seeing a similar scenario in any major studio.
Hello from Barcelona (Spain). Great Job Alan. Disney is doomed right now. I “Wish” they will return to make good movies again.
Great work Alan.
Outstanding and infuriating. This is the best, most insightful reporting on the insane ‘descent’ of Walt’s place.
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