The Oscar-winning 'West Side Story' actress is set to lend her voice to the main character in the upcoming animated movie about Disney's fabled wishing star.
- Sep 10, 2022
AceShowbiz - Ariana DeBose is cast for Disney's "Wish". The "West Side Story" actress will lend her voice to a character in the animated movie from "Frozen" 's Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, which will explain how the wishing star that many Disney characters have wished upon came into existence.
DeBose, 31, will voice Asha, "a 17 year old who sees a darkness in her kingdom that no one else does, so in a moment of desperation, she makes a passioned plea to the stars" and is answered by a falling star, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The animated movie - which was announced at the D23 panel in Anaheim, California - is set in Rosas, the kingdom of wishes and will blend the classic Disney animation style with a newer, CGI look.
Alan Tudyk voices a goat named Valentino in the movie while singer/songwriter Julia Michaels will write original songs for the musical. Buck will co-direct with Fawn Veerasunthorn and the movie is being produced by Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes. It will be released in November 2023.
Meanwhile, Ariana - who picked up the Best Supporting Actress gong for playing Anita in the Steven Spielberg remake of "West Side Story" - recently revealed that she almost didn't audition for the movie musical.
She said, "I didn't feel like I was going to be a candidate, because I didn't have 500,000 followers. I wasn't 'a name.' I was from Broadway, and typically when they make movie musicals in the States, they aren't using theater talent, they're using pop stars. The other thing was that the character, Anita, didn't look like me - she's not a Black woman."
Ariana - who was involved with the debut of "Hamilton" on Broadway - shared that she was in New York experiencing "chaotic peace" when she found out she was nominated for the Oscar.
She said, "I was walking by the East River in New York City. You're on this walkway with the highway on one side and the tranquil water on the other. It was absolute chaotic peace, which is exactly how I felt about the news."
