Since Walt Disney Animation got its start 100 years ago, the studio has had a knack for creating some of the most beloved characters of all time. In Wish, the latest of Disney’s upcoming movies, which has been specifically created with the centennial anniversary in mind, the wishing star is the latest subject of its artists’ creations. Its name is simply and aptly “Star,” and the filmmakers’ inspiration for the character’s design has me already in love.
Wish will tell the story of a teenage girl named Asha (played by Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose) who is living in the fictional Kingdom of Rosas off the Iberian Peninsula. In this original tale set in the Middle Ages, Asha makes a big wish on a star that leads to a literal star coming to her. When I spoke to Wish’s directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, they shared a super cute influence for the character of Star. As Veerasunthorn told CinemaBlend:
We were inspired by baby pandas, thank you internet for all those videos. Pandas do what Pandas want, and you can’t control them. You don’t know what they’re thinking, which plays into the journey of Asha, right? If Star can just tell Asha exactly what she needed to do, the film would be no fun. It would be over in five minutes. But we love this chaotic energy, which ties into the feeling of the creative energy that people have. And you don’t know what to do with them. This restless energy that star has that pushes you into the journey of pursuing your wish.
No wonder I fell in love with Star the moment I laid eyes on the character design, it’s giving baby panda energy! It’s not immediately apparent since Star is a literal ball of light rather than a black-and-white fuzzball, but I totally see it. Veerasunthorn’s comments to CinemaBlend speak to the character’s key traits, like having “creative” and “chaotic” energy that really speaks to what they felt a star might be like.
Baby pandas aren’t the only key inspiration for Star though. When CinemaBlend attended an early press event for Wish at the El Capitan in Los Angeles, California, the filmmakers also shared that Star’s design came out of references from the mascot of Walt Disney Studios himself, Mickey Mouse! Just check out the below set of drawings of Star from the movie’s visual development phase:
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If you look closely at the character design of Star alongside Mickey, it’s apparent that both characters share that same heart face shape along with having the same eye shape. What a sweet influence for Wish to have considering the movie itself is paying tribute to 100 years of the studio. As we know, it all started with a mouse.
For the story of Wish, the filmmakers also wanted to pay tribute to the long-held tradition in Disney movies for characters to wish upon a star. Wish hits theaters on November 22. Ahead of that, you can look forward to Disney’s celebration of its 100-year anniversary with the Once Upon A Studio short premiering on ABC on October 15 before the short plays ahead of Wish in theaters as well.