This is my Tumblr blog that I'll use to post about my rewrite of the Disney movie Wish! And also here's the link to the script so it's all in one place as I update it for you all!
I was so disappointed to find out that original plans for the movie would have honoured the original 2D movies' formula, having a traditional Disney villain and the timeless romance. It would have been beautiful to see a duo of male and female villain royalty as well as a POC female protagonist finding love in a non-binary being of the stars. But sadly, they rushed their creative team and forced out an unfinished cash grab of a movie lacking the heart and soul that should have been put into their 100th anniversary movie.
Of course, Disney has had its past in erasure, stereotyping and discrimination against minority groups, and more often than not these believes leaked into their works and even now leak into their practices. It's honestly not a surprise to see such stories being watered down into being palatable towards a far-right White audience, especially what they would want to let their children consume and learn (and Wish's message is overtly harmful but "hey, it's a kid's movie, who cares?"). So I thought while looking at the beautiful, relevant and diverse story they could have presented, "why not piss them off?"
My Rewrite
The plot of my rewrite focuses on Asha, a 17-year-old girl with a big heart and a love for dreaming and wishing. She adores her family and her home in Rosas, showing unconditional kindness to everyone around her, as that is how she herself would want to be treated.
The City of Rosas is ruled by King Magnifico, a warlock with the power to manifest someone's wish into a physical form and grant them when he so desires, and Queen Amaya, a vain lady preserving her youth through the power of dark magic passed onto her by her father and uses Magnifico to boost her rotten ego. The people of Rosas willingly hand over their wishes, as they hope one year theirs will be the one to be granted and place all of their trust into the King. However, the King only does this all to keep himself and Amaya powerful: the manifestations of the wishes give him and Amaya power, and the submission of the people gives them status. As well as this, when the people hand over their wishes, they can't even remember what that wish was, so they'll have no recollection of what greater ambition they're working towards, only that they're working towards some kind of greater ambition that can only be granted by the King that they trust so much.
Asha was raised in a family of dual roots, her father coming from Rosas' native religion: the Old Faith. A religion that worshipped the Sun and her many siblings. The people of the Old Faith have a rite of passage where they hike to a special spot on the edge of the city to wish on the North Star. But under Magnifico's rule, that rite of passage was made illegal, stripping the people and Asha of their sacred cultural practice.
So now that Asha is older and aware of the fact that she and so many people in Rosas will never live their lives to the fullest and never be able to truly connect to their faith, she breaks the law forbidding contact with the Aether...
...and she wishes on the North Star.
I'm still writing the script, but the rest of the plot is, like, King and Queen find out there's a traitor and sets a bounty, Asha and Star have romance, Asha's friends betray her to the Queen (but they're not really friends they suck), Star is kidnapped, Asha starts a protest and frickin destroys the monarchy babyyyyyy!
So yeah! Stay tuned if you're interested!
I also have a blog dedicated only to posting my art if you're interested!
I've been working on a final FINAL version of This Wish, this time named A'kha Sokniya because it incorporates Native Rosian in the chorus. I felt it would better reflect Asha's longing for her people to be free to worship as well as her desire to connect with her culture. Usually she would only be allowed to speak this language between her community, as the language was banned from being taught in schools or used in many public settings in Rosas. Even speaking it in front of anyone else can put you in danger. So her singing in Native Rosian is, in itself, a protest, a plea to the stars for something to change
This is a small animatic I made for the first chorus, which I may add to in the future. I wanted to put this bit out specifically for Pride Month because this month especially is an important time to highlight that we are still fighting. We are still protesting. We are still digging our way out from discrimination, erasure, facism, genocide, just for the right to LIVE authentically. Nobody should EVER have to be afraid to be themselves. Nobody should EVER die or get hurt for being who they are.
We have Pride Month because we still have to fight for our rights. So like Asha, let us make our wish.
(At night, everyone in the cottage is fast asleep. Well, everyone but Asha. Asha quietly sits up from her bed, unable to sleep after the day she had and what she had learnt. She solemnly walks out of her bedroom, walking past the open door of the bedroom where her grandfather and mother are asleep. She looks at them, smiling to herself. A smile which then lowers into a frown when her eyes fix on her grandfather. Disappointment, shame. It wasn't fair. Why must an entire culture have to be systemically erased to fit the palette of the royal family? Why did her loved ones have to live in isolation, worship in secret, just to keep the peace. If only she could make a difference… but did she even have the power to?)
(She leaves the cottage, her cat companion trotting along beside her. She glances down at Auriga and smiles softly.)
Asha: Did I wake you?
(Auriga yawns, then slowly blinks at her.)
Asha: Sorry, cariño…
(She wanders along the path leading down from her cottage and into the rest of the small village. Everyone is indoors, other than some animals grazing or sleeping in pens. A baby dear nearby perks its head up at the sound of her footsteps, but doesn't retreat. A couple of white doves sit on top of a wishing well, watching her walk past. She steps onto the low bridge that lays over the river dividing the two areas of Rosas, looking out at the rest of the city. But instead of continuing forward, she sighs and lowers to the ground.)
Asha: All those years ago, I could have lived in there. Surrounded by the gorgeous architecture, not have to… collect water from a well or the river, sew my own clothes… Do you ever wonder what that could be like, chula?
(She looks at the cat, who is quietly drinking from the river.)
Asha: I just… don't understand. Tauri talks about how we're supposed to love and accept one another, nurture each other's flames, and… live in harmony. Why is that so wrong? Why is it wrong to just… want to be us? Why does being us have to be shunned so much? Mama doesn't even let me show my stars…
(She rolls her right sleeve up, looking solemnly at the beautiful starry tattoo on her forearm. Something that should have been honoured… She tears up, but wipes away the tears.)
Asha: I just want us to be accepted… why can't I…? Why can't we…?
{“A'KHA SOKNIYA”}
(Auriga hops up next to her, bumping her head against her side. But she has her gaze fixed onto the lake below her, staring at her solemn reflection.)
[ASHA:]
I thought that love would make your fire grow
But why does my soul feel tied down in chains?
(She stands up and steps away from the edge, turning to gaze at Rosas.)
[ASHA:]
I long to tell them everything I know
Throw caution to the wind and bring us to the stars again
(A breeze blows against her, causing her to hug herself.)
[ASHA:]
But the winds of ice, they wish my flames to die
(She looks to Auriga, who rubs against her leg in support.)
[ASHA:]
And all my doubts tell me it's all for nothing
(She glances at her home. At the village. At the people who have been hurt most by the royal family's regime.)
[ASHA:]
Yet the fire deep inside
Tells me I can't be wrong
(She turns toward it, walking off the bridge.)
[ASHA:]
And I'm strong enough to rise up to my feet
(She looks up at the wishing star, which glows brighter still.)
[ASHA:]
So I look up at the stars to guide me
(She reaches up toward it, watching the starlight sparkle through her fingers.)
[ASHA:]
And feel the pull that's guiding me towards the light
(She lowers her hand.)
[ASHA:]
My fears are screaming out to try and hide me
But I won't let them stop me shining bright
(She watches as a firefly takes off from a dandelion, flying around her head. She follows along with her body.)
[ASHA:]
Krah kan'ala sokniya
(A second is roused, and she follows it, leading from her hand.)
[ASHA:]
Sokaja lanthar amin a'kha
(She watches as more fireflies fly into the sky around her. She unties her shawl and holds it between her hands.)
(She walks through her village again, her dance still in her steps as she looks at the other houses, longing for change.)
[ASHA:]
I know I'm not supposed to take this path
It's overgrown, it's frozen over, it's not right
But our right is to run, to leap, to bask
In her pure and loving light, to love and share and fight
(She makes her way into a smaller ancient temple, one where you were meant to head before your pilgrimage to the Wishing Spot. It is falling apart, but has been decorated with textiles, food offerings and burning candles with overflowing wax for the Festival Of The Gifts. The only safe, legal way they are allowed to celebrate it.)
[ASHA:]
Why can't they see what innovation cost?
Can't we go back, just change the track to what we're owed?
I cannot stand to see my people lost
So here I stand to guide them home
(She stands in front of another stained glass window mural, this time the top of the glass opens up into a mural of the North Star, facing exactly where the star itself is. The fireflies have followed her, and are circling the mural.)
[ASHA:]
So I'll look up at the stars to guide me
And let the call inside me guide me through
I know Magnifico will try to shun me
But no spin story will twist my point of view
(The fireflies begin to circle her, beginning to fill her with even more confidence in herself. Almost certain on her decision.)
(The fireflies then race out of the temple, expectant of her to follow. She does, running after them and raising up her hand to fly alongside their path.)
(They have taken her to the beginning of the pilgrimage trail. And suddenly, she has doubts. They line the trail one by one, almost like the Wisps from Brave. She slowly follows each one, each one flying up as she passes them.)
[ASHA:]
But I've got reservations, I hesitate
On where to start, what path to take
I long to step in line, if I could just try
Cannot keep my hands tied
(She stops suddenly and spins to look at the moon, starting to get more and more emotional. The fireflies all fly together into the sky.)
[ASHA:]
If you can hear me, Sol, please send down a sign
Please help me on this way I choose
My legs are shaking, but my head's held high
(Her eyes land on the wishing spot at the end of the trail, her voice choking up with unshed tears.)
[ASHA:]
The way he always taught me to
(The fireflies are flying in that direction. A sign, the boost she needs to confirm her decision. For her people, for her Aba's dreams. She looks determined. She runs the rest of the way along the trail.)
[ASHA:]
So I look up at the stars to guide me
And hold my people deep inside my heart
I know there will be challenges that find me
But I can face them all to make the start
Krah kan'ala sokniya
Sokaja lanthar amin a'kha
Krah kan'ala sokniya
Sokaja lanthar amin a'kha
(We see her Saba wake up. He looks out of the window and sees the fireflies around the wishing spot. He smiles, knowing Asha has finally found her way.)
(Asha gazes up at the bright Wishing Star in the sky. She shuts her eyes with a gentle smile.)
Holy shit guys! Idk what it is about this version but it hits me SO MUCH HARDER!! AAA!!
I included the new language, and changed up the scene some more and added to it and it's so fun! And I was talking to my friend about the fireflies and they suggested that the fireflies act as a guide for Asha, akin to the Will-O-Wisps from Brave. I LOVE YOU SIB THANK YOOOU!!!!
Oh and
Krah kan'ala sokniya literally translates to "I make a wish", Sokaja lanthar amin a'kha literally translates to "I need more than this". But that's just literal translations, the lyrics still mean the same as the original English ones. And the new title translates to "This Wish" :3
When your "friends" manipulate you into outing Asha to the royal family for wishing on the North Star
(Also yes I finally gave Dahlia her crutch, I took a while to get my head around the pose but one umbrella and photo session later I got the hang of it! Of course I also used reference pictures of people and characters with forearm crutches also :3)
Whilst I am here, I will say that I support every letter within the LGBTQIA+ community!!
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender people, queer people, intersex people, asexual/aromantic/agender/abro/all the As, and everyone in the plus! You are all absolutely beautiful and brilliant and should shine on forever because you are all stars!
I myself am a non-binary, asexual lesbian :3
Oh and also
I SUPPORT ALL MY TRANS BROTHERS, SISTERS AND SIBLINGS! SO TERFS CAN FUCK OFF!!! I will stand by transmascs, I will stand by transfems, I will stand by everyone underneath the trans umbrella! And nobody will EVER change my mind or make me listen to their bigoted BULLSHIT!
You are all safe here with me ♡
Oh and Disney don't pretend to be allies we know what you're doing you big pieces of shit this is why I'm rewriting your fucking movie
Oh @your-ne1ghbor remember when you mentioned the Old Faith possibly having a language?
Well... you really inspired me so I'm... I'm making it :3
This is what I got so far!
The language is inspired by Greek and Arabic, the verbs are unchanging so "Welcome" and "Welcomes" would both be "Mulokh". It's just this so far but I am gonna keep building on it and sprinkling it into my rewrite!
Thank you so much for the inspiration, I value you so much!!
Finally managed to watch Wish recently... and I fuckimg hated it XD as expected!
But some things I did like are the environmental designs, character designs and of course the instrumentals. The vocals blew me away also, always good vocals with Disney and ALWAYS good instrumentals. But like... they were way too pop for me. I didn't like Asha's style of singing at all, even if she had an amazing voice
But yeah, the design of Rosas is just... gorgeous, I love it
And even without watching the movie, I managed to nail a lot of the plot points. I don't know if that means I used 80% of my intuition or if the plot is THAT predictable. But it gave me a good reference for my own rewrite!
And I also ended up brainstorming ideas with my friend and now I'm connecting even FURTHER the concept of pixie dust. Specifically blue pixie dust
Finally managed to watch Wish recently... and I fuckimg hated it XD as expected!
But some things I did like are the environmental designs, character designs and of course the instrumentals. The vocals blew me away also, always good vocals with Disney and ALWAYS good instrumentals. But like... they were way too pop for me. I didn't like Asha's style of singing at all, even if she had an amazing voice
But yeah, the design of Rosas is just... gorgeous, I love it
And even without watching the movie, I managed to nail a lot of the plot points. I don't know if that means I used 80% of my intuition or if the plot is THAT predictable. But it gave me a good reference for my own rewrite!
And I also ended up brainstorming ideas with my friend and now I'm connecting even FURTHER the concept of pixie dust. Specifically blue pixie dust
In my rewrite? No, the moment he becomes a mirror she remarries and tries to kill Snow White then dies and gets brought back to live on an island with other villains and then has a child with another man
So I look up at the stars to guide me
And throw caution to every warning sign
I'm sure there will be challenges that find me
But I can take them on one at a time
So I make this wish
To have something more for us than this
So I make this wish
To have something more for us than this
Since you mentioned that Dahlia, Gabi and Bazeema are the "Heathers" of your rewrite, I thought: "What if I do an animatic of that one part of the song "Big Fun" that was viral a few years ago?" So that's this lol:
I really love that idea of yours and hope that you like this too! As a fan of the Heathers musical (and movie), I love this refrence!
And I'll tag others too, bc yes (Tagging Time @starss-artss @your-ne1ghbor @rascalentertainments @spectator-zee @pinkninja0708 @ceyasstuff @cielos-pintados @whiteghoul24 @tumblingdownthefoxden @thatbrowavy )
Since you mentioned that Dahlia, Gabi and Bazeema are the "Heathers" of your rewrite, I thought: "What if I do an animatic of that one part of the song "Big Fun" that was viral a few years ago?" So that's this lol:
I really love that idea of yours and hope that you like this too! As a fan of the Heathers musical (and movie), I love this refrence!
And I'll tag others too, bc yes (Tagging Time @starss-artss @your-ne1ghbor @rascalentertainments @spectator-zee @pinkninja0708 @ceyasstuff @cielos-pintados @whiteghoul24 @tumblingdownthefoxden @thatbrowavy )
So for the everyday clothing, here is Tauri! Family friend and one of the only people left in Rosas that weaves traditional Phlógasian shawls! (Phlógasian is the name of the native people of Rosas, the name being a play on the Greek word for flame, so the name to the native people means "of the flame")
The main outfit is inspired by the Egyptian Galabeya, including a waistband that is hidden by the shawl in this picture, and the shoes/slippers are loosely inspired by Greek Tsarouchi, which are shoes worn by soldiers of the Greek presidential guard. The shoes I have here are more casual however, without the large puffs on the toes and the other intricate details. They're made for practicality and to match the casual clothing rather than aesthetic
When it comes to the body, there is a lot less taboo to the Phlógasian people about it. Public bathhouses are seen as a community space, no shame in sight, and outfits are not required to cover a certain amount of skin, they just need to represent the stars or Sol in a way
This is because the human body, including the hair and the skin, should be cherished and honoured in the Old Faith. They are gifts from Sol, and nurturing the body will also nurture the flame within the soul. Bodies should be adorned in stars and other symbolism, and clothes that make the wearer feel brighter and happier. The stars can be woven into fabric, moulded into golden jewellery, tattooed onto the face or arms, etc.
Tauri personally chooses to wear her stars through her clothes and the tattoos on her face and arms. A star on her forehead, three stars with tails under her mouth, and stars on her forearms. She also likes to weave stars into some of her shawls, her favourite shawl being the one she is holding. And the shawl she gives Asha is one of these shawls!
is it okay if I draw your Asha dancing with my Asha?? Idk I just wanna draw ur Asha with mine doing smth ykyk 🥹
Aww that's so lovely!!!! Aaaa!!
You never have to ask for permission to draw things for me, I am always happy to receive any artwork you have! Just make sure that if you post it to your account you @ me, that's all I ask!
This is so sweet, thank you!!!
Wish [REDREAMT] @wish-rewrite-au - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
