Fans "Wish" Disney Had Used These Abandoned Concepts

Happy New Year, princess fans! When a new year begins, many of us think about things we can do better than the year before. There is no company this notion applies to better than Disney, which has been failing in every direction now more so than ever. Their latest feature, Wish, was a genuinely solid movie that sadly did not make the profits it deserved. Following its theatrical run, many fans noticed that the concepts presented in the official Art of Wish book would have elevated it from a good movie to a great one. Most of these concepts revolved around love and romance, which has been strategically removed from modern Disney Princess archetypes, despite being a staple of the brand prior to the past decade. Despite some early rumors that Asha might be the daughter of King Magnifico and Queen Amaya, the film's director Chris Buck explained in an interview why he was adamantly against making her a princess, which may have been another mistake that could have altered the movie's tragic fate.

The most egregious mistake in the production of the film that has everybody talking is the removal of "Star Boy," an anthropomorphic shapeshifting version of the "Star" character that would have served as a love interest for Asha. It is heavily rumored that "At All Costs," one of the strongest yet most out-of-place songs in the film, was originally meant to be a romantic duet between Asha and Star Boy due to the slightly altered lyrics in the demo version of the song. After all, there isn't a lot of ambiguity behind the lyric "I wanna love you as one does," which is why it was changed to "I wanna promise as one does" when the song was used to describe Maginifico's obsession with guarding the people's wishes instead. If they had gone with the original version involving Star Boy falling in love with Asha, it would not only have been a beautiful tribute to Disney's history of engaging love stories, but it also would have added a compelling new element of a seemingly impossible paranormal romance between a human girl a celestial boy who lives in the sky. Granted, a similar plot was used in 2007's Stardust, but that movie was mediocre at best in comparison to the Neil Gaiman novel it was based on. Regardless, it would have been an original plot for a Disney film that could have gone in a different direction. You can listen to the original demo of "At All Costs" below and decide for yourself.

The other scrapped concept for Wish was that Queen Amaya actually loved King Magnifico despite his villainous ways. A wife who is actually in love with her husband? What a novel concept! The official art book for the film reveals a concept sketch of the power couple imposingly scheming together and enjoying every second of it. Amaya was by far the weakest element of Wish, repeatedly forsaking her husband in favor of following the righteous majority despite being described as Magnifico's "loyal wife" in the opening narration. It would have made sense for her to be more similar to Magnifico than different since she did marry him, after all. It also would have provided a bigger challenge for Asha to go up against two powerful foes instead of one, which hearkens back to the rumored concept of her being their rebellious daughter, placing her squarely back in Disney Princess territory. Giving a villain a love interest would not only be a first for Disney, but it would also add an additional layer of depth to both characters, proving that even villains can still understand the concept of love despite being unwilling to share it with anyone other than a select few. As an added bonus, it would also pay tribute to Disney's long history of evil queens.

After writing a princess screenplay of my own, I understand the struggle of wanting to stay true to original ideas while also being open to feedback and popular demand. Considering the box office results of Wish, it's apparent that the filmmakers went about this the wrong way. It wouldn't be the first time that iconic princess film concepts were scrapped. Jeffrey Katzenberg is infamous for trying to convince songwriters Alan Menken and Howard Ashman to remove "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid after some children looked bored during the sequence at an early screening. Thankfully, the creative team won that battle. Another potentially iconic Disney Princess sequence that never saw the light of day was the "Princess Academy" short that featured a beautifully animated crossover of every Disney Princess and heroine character from the time gathering at a special school to bond over shared interests and experiences and improve their skills as princesses and heroic females. This 2009 short was a huge loss for princess fans. Other deleted concepts that are more widely available to the public are the demo songs from the Frozen soundtrack, which are arguably better than the ones that made it to the final film. Anna's deleted song, "More Than Just the Spare," was an excellent character study that was used to develop her personality despite not being used in the film, and the catchy duet, "Life's Too Short," did a much better job of showcasing the sisters' troubled relationship than "For the First Time in Forever (Reprise)."

By reflecting on various aspects of Wish in the new year, it becomes evident that the potential for a more compelling and resonant narrative was left unexplored. From the missed opportunity of a celestial romance between Asha and Star Boy and the intriguing complexities of Queen Amaya's character to the impact of scrapped songs and sequences, it's clear that there were significant unfulfilled possibilities. This serves as a reminder that even in the realm of beloved tales and princess stories, the creative process is not immune to missteps and unrealized potential. As we eagerly anticipate the future offerings from Disney and the evolution of the princess narrative, it is essential to appreciate the lessons learned from missed opportunities and the enduring value of staying true to the original spirit of these captivating tales. Would you have preferred the Wish that could have been? Let me know in the comments!