Jennifer Lee Says ‘Wish’s King Magnifico Is Disney’s “Most Expansive” Villain
The Disney100 celebration is set to come to a crescendo this November with the release of Disney’s WIsh.
Photo: Disney
Taking inspiration from the timeless Disney stories that came before it, Wish will introduce audiences to the Kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a 17-year-old girl, senses a darkness that no one else does. When she passionately pleads to the stars in her moment of need, an actual star in the sky named Star answers Asha’s wish.
Introducing King Magnifico
At the center of the story, will not only be Disney’s newest heroine but also their next great villain — King Magnifico.
Photo: Disney
According to WIsh screenwriter Jennifer Lee, King Magnifico will be introduced as a great hero in Rosas. In fact, he and Asha seem like they will be fast friends.
“From the first image of the film, he’s portrayed like a hero — and he may very well be at that moment,” Lee said, adding: “There’s a moment in the film, and there’s a song Julia [Michaels] wrote that’s incredible, where Asha and Magnifico are completely philosophically aligned. And that’s been a dream of mine to get to do, having the protagonist and villain completely aligned. And then the minute they learn more, you see that change and each makes different choices.”
Photo: Disney
Chris Pine Delivered
To bring King Magnifico to life, Disney has enlisted Chris Pine to voice the character. According to Lee, Pine delivered exactly what the filmmakers had hoped he would.
Photo: Variety
“We’ve never done this expansive of a whole journey of the villain. And Chris Pine also brought that to it, because that’s what he needs to get inside the meat of the character emotionally. So he was such an incredible partner to do that. He’s so smart and he can sing, so he just kept coming alive more and more every day.”
Photo: Disney
Wish is set to premiere in theaters on November 22. I for one, can’t wait!
