Chinese stars help Disney's 'Wish' come to life

The disappointed girl runs into the woods, making a wish that is unexpectedly answered by a cosmic force — a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star, along with Valentino and a group of friends, decide to confront the king, and set free all the citizens' wishes, which are locked in hundreds of magic bubbles.

Lee recalls that the idea for Wish began to take shape in 2018, when she was busy working with Chris Buck while codirecting Frozen 2, one of the world's highest-grossing animated films. The two-year project involved around 600 animators.

The initial preparations progressed rapidly, from Buck hanging up pictures of all the previous Disney animated films in the hallway to spark inspiration, to conducting deep research into the studio's legendary founder, Walt Disney, and his childhood on a farm in Marceline, Missouri.