Wish rewrite with Amaya as the villain (spoilers)
While I love Chris Pine as the narcasistic King Magnifico, I feel like they wasted a opportunity to have Amaya as a villain.
Instead of a confident narcissist, Magnifico is a timid yet sweet wizard who stays in his lab, waers ragged servant clothes behind closed doors, and doesnt come out that often, except to grant wishes. Think of him as a male version of Elsa and Snowwhite.
the pressure to grant everyones high expectations and his own introvert nature causes him to often screw up the wishes he has to grant at the ceremony. Note that the wishes that he grants are all materialistic yet harmless, like, "I want a puppy!" or "I want a house!"
Amaya, who serves as Mother Gothel/Evil Queen to Magnificos Rapunzel/Snowwhite, married him solidly because of his sorcery and has been secretly breaking his self-esteem over the years. She installed the dogma in Magnificos head that only SHE can judge wishes accordingly and that people cant be trusted with them because they are all selfish (which is true, to a extent). Not only that, but she also keeps Magnificos OWN wish - to be a great wizard - to herself as a means to control him.
Then, enter Asha, who sees this emotional abuse by accident and boldly speaks her mind to Magnifico about this, planting the first seed in Magnificos head that Amaya is using him, much like the town is using him for.materialistic wishes. Magnifico doesnt believe Asha because of denial - the wishing ceremony is the only time his subjects actually pay attention to him and his sorcery is his only means of value to the community - and so, he banishes her from the castle.
The movie could then still follow the same broad lines with Asha meeting Star and convincing the townspeople to rise up.
Unlike the materialistic wishes that Magnifico can grant with his staff, Star's magic can actually do wondrous things - like, grant an infinite number of wishes, make people magically fall in love with you, bring people back from the dead, etc. Once Amaya gets Star, she plans to dump Magnifico for the better option. As her methodes become more and more extreme to quell the revolutionists and find Star, Magnifico keeps the fragil peace between the revolutionists (who want all the wishes returned to them) and patriots (who are on Amaya's side and believe wishes should be governed). his popularity skyrockets, as people start to respect and see him as more than just a genie in a bottle. in turn, Magnifico becomes more confident.
Amaya becomes furious that the balance in their relationship has shifted. Fearing Magnifico becomes too comfident and will free himself from the abuse, she locks Magnifico up in the highest tower, steals his staff and absorbs the bad/selfish/harmful wishes that Magnifico keeps contained in a seperate vault.
The final battle/climax would then play out almost the same as in the movie: Asha and Star lure the "Queen" in a wild chase scene while her friends free Magnifico.
Magnifico is at his lowest point as Amaya forces all of Rosas, including himself, to its knees with the bad wishes. He is powerless without his staff and equipment to stand up to her. Asha reminds him that "he is a Star!", not because of his magic but because of his good heart.
Magnifico is freed from Amayas magical grip thanks to the belief of Asha and his people. He fuses with Star (think of Rapunzel in the Tangled series, when her eyes and hair glow) to fight Amaya in a sorcerous duel that pays tribute to Merlins duel with Madame Mim. He wins, imprisons her in the Mirror, stores the bad wishes back into the vault and revives the good wishes.
rin the ending, Star grants Magnifico his wish to be a great wizard, giving him the ability to grant powerful wishes like Star. Magnifico then rules as the King of Rosas with Asha as his right hand.
