Disney has released a short video preview of “This Is The Thanks I Get?!,” a song performed by King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine) in the upcoming film “Wish” that may soon join the iconic list of songs performed by Walt Disney Animation Studios villains. The preview comes as part of the studio’s pledge to release a full song from the new animated feature each Wednesday between now and the movie’s November 22 release date, seemingly confirming that a full version of Disney’s newest ‘villain song’ will be available to listen to later this week.
Disney Previews ‘This Is The Thanks I Get?!’
The preview cuts back and forth between animation from “Wish” and a video of Chris Pine singing inside a recording booth. The song is from the perspective of King Magnifico, the new film’s antagonist; the character lists his positive attributes and the selfless acts he completes for the Kingdom of Rosas before complaining about the lack of respect he gets. The song’s lyrics are amusingly paradoxical to its cheery and bubbly instrumental.
The song was written by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice, who wrote six additional songs for “Wish.” Michaels is a Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter who has written songs for artists such as Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Hailee Steinfeld, while Rice is a Grammy-winning producer who worked in the music department on “A Star Is Born.”
King Magnifico is the admired founder and ruler of the Kingdom of Rosas, famed for his power to grant wishes to his subjects. This ability places him in opposition to his apprentice, Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose), the film’s protagonist who, according to its trailer, disagrees with the selectiveness with which he grants wishes.
Walt Disney Animation Studios is renowned for its near-century-spanning library of films, several of which contain original songs. Many of the studio’s most iconic tunes are about or are directly sung by their antagonists, with “Gaston” from “Beauty and the Beast,” “Be Prepared” from “The Lion King,” and “Cruella de Vil” from “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” perhaps serving as the most pertinent examples.
‘Wish’
“Wish” is an animated musical that uses a mix of traditional and 3D animation. The film follows Asha, a sharp-witted idealist who makes a wish upon a star that changes the fate of her entire kingdom. The movie also features Alan Tudyk as Valentino, a talking goat.
The film is directed by Chris Buck (“Frozen,” “Frozen II”) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) from a script penned by Buck, Allison Moore (“Night Sky”), and Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee (who also worked on both “Frozen” films). According to its directors, “Wish” will feature several legacy nods to films from the Walt Disney Animation Studios library.
Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, announced at Destination D23 2023 that Asha will debut as a meet-and-greet character at Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and EPCOT at Walt Disney World at some point after the film’s upcoming release.
Disney released the first song from “Wish” last week. You can listen to it here.
What did you think of the preview for “This Is The Thanks I Get?!” Will you be checking out “Wish” when it opens in theaters later this year? Let us know in the comments.
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