MOVIES · STORY NOTES

Wish

Wish is a 2023 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The story follows a 17-year-old girl named Asha (DeBose) living in the kingdom of Rosas, where she makes a passionate plea to the stars in a moment of need.

Description adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Wish (film) · CC BY-SA 4.0. Text adapted for this entry.

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The story, including the ending.

These write-ups discuss major events and outcomes for this listed work. Each source and its coverage are identified below.

Source plot synopsis — includes the ending

King Magnifico and his wife, Queen Amaya, establish the kingdom of Rosas on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. Having studied sorcery, Magnifico is able to grant the greatest desires of his subjects, but they have to give up the memory of their wishes to be sealed away and protected by the king until he can grant them. Once a month, at a ceremonial event, Magnifico chooses one wish to be granted.
Years later, 17-year-old Asha prepares to interview for the job of Magnifico's apprentice on the day of her grandfather Sabino's 100th birthday, hoping that Magnifico will grant Sabino's wish to inspire the next generation. The interview goes well until Asha requests for Sabino's wish to be granted, which Magnifico, rendered paranoid by the destruction of his family's land, declines for being too vague. Asha realizes Magnifico never intends to return the ungranted wishes to their owners, and when she questions his methods, Magnifico refuses to accept her apprenticeship.
Asha tries but fails to convince Sabino and her mother Sakina of the flaws in Magnifico's system. Distraught, she makes her own wish on a star, and to her surprise, the star descends from the sky in the form of an anthropomorphic star of light, which Asha names Star. Star's magic gives the forest animals, including Asha's pet goat Valentino, the ability to talk, and they tell her that all life is made of stardust. Encouraged, Asha enlists Star's help in retrieving her family's wishes. Everyone in the kingdom senses Star's presence, and Magnifico interprets it as a threat. Despite Amaya's pleas, he turns to a book of forbidden dark magic to maintain his position of power as his subjects begin to doubt his way of ruling.
Asha retrieves Sabino's wish and he is overjoyed to be able to remember it, but Magnifico arrives to arrest them, having been informed that Asha was responsible for Star's summoning. Corrupted by the dark magic, Magnifico intends to use Star's magic and Rosas's wishes to increase his own power, forcing Sabino and Sakina to flee to a nearby island while Asha, Star, and Valentino stay behind to free the citizens' wishes. One of Asha's friends, Simon, is revealed to be the one who sold her out to Magnifico, in hopes that his wish to become a knight would be granted. Magnifico grants the wish, but additionally bewitches Simon into being his henchman.
Asha rallies her other friends Dahlia, Gabo, Hal, Bazeema, Safi, and Dario to put an end to Magnifico's reign. Amaya also joins them, having discovered Magnifico's corruption. While her friends infiltrate Magnifico's study and open up the ceiling to free the wishes, Asha tries to distract Magnifico, only to be tricked by a disguised Simon, whom she defeats with the animals' help. The real Magnifico ascends the castle's tower, absorbing the power of every wish and trapping Star. Asha attempts to stop him but is easily overpowered as Magnifico blocks out the sky and immobilizes the citizens, preventing them from wishing on stars.
Unwilling to give up, Asha remembers the animals' message from before and encourages the citizens to make a wish about changing Rosas's future. The strength of their collective desire overpowers Magnifico, releasing the wishes from him and freeing Star. Magnifico's magic turns against him and traps him inside his staff's mirror, while the citizens regain their sealed wishes with a newfound appreciation of pursuing them.
Amaya becomes the sole ruler of Rosas, helping the citizens make their wishes come true on their own. A regretful Simon is forgiven by Asha and her friends. Star gifts Asha with a magic wand so that she can inspire people to keep dreaming before returning to the sky among the other stars.
Sources and content license

Source and revision history ↗ · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Wish (film). Section headings and formatting adjusted. · Content license