

Wish Budget
Updated
Synopsis
Asha, a sharp-witted idealist makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force—a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico—to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.
What is the budget of Wish?
"Wish," a animation released in 2023, was directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn, Chris Buck and stars Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine. The production budget was $175,000,000, placing it in the blockbuster range for animation productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a animation production like this include:
- Animation Production Pipeline: The bulk of an animated film's budget funds the multi-year production pipeline: storyboarding, character modeling, rigging, animation, lighting, rendering, and compositing.
- Voice Talent: Celebrity voice casting has become standard for studio animation, with A-list actors earning $5 to 15 million for voice roles.
- Music, Songs & Sound Design: Original songs and orchestral scores are central to animated storytelling. Sound design for animated worlds must be created entirely from scratch.
- Casting: On September 9, 2022, during the 2022 D23 Expo, Ariana DeBose and Alan Tudyk were announced to have been cast in the leading roles of Asha and Valentino, respectively.
What were the major cost factors in Wish?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Wish."
- Animation Production Pipeline: Animation Production Pipeline is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
- Voice Talent: Voice Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
- Music: Music, Songs & Sound Design is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
How Does Wish's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $175,000,000, Wish sits in the blockbuster range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 47 Ronin (2013): Budget $175,000,000, Worldwide Gross $151,783,839
- Cars 3 (2017): Budget $175,000,000, Worldwide Gross $383,925,276
- Coco (2017): Budget $175,000,000, Worldwide Gross $814,641,172
- Dolittle (2020): Budget $175,000,000, Worldwide Gross $251,410,631
- Evan Almighty (2007): Budget $175,000,000, Worldwide Gross $174,440,724
The median budget for wide-release animation films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Wish Box Office Performance
"Wish" earned $63,973,821 domestically and $254,997,360 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $175,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Wish," that break-even threshold was roughly $350,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $254,997,360, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $175,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $254,997,360
- Net Return: $79,997,360
- ROI: approximately 45.7%
At 45.7%, "Wish" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.
Wish Production History
On September 9, 2022, during the 2022 D23 Expo, Ariana DeBose and Alan Tudyk were announced to have been cast in the leading roles of Asha and Valentino, respectively. On April 26, 2023, at CinemaCon, it was announced that Chris Pine would voice King Magnifico. Lee said of Pine "as the most powerful person in the kingdom, King Magnifico needed to be played by someone who could give all the charm, cleverness and charisma to this magnanimous character, and Chris is beautifully bringing all of that and then some".
Julia Michaels was announced to write lyrics and partial music to original songs for Wish at D23 Expo in September 2022. Work on the songs began the year before during the COVID-19 pandemic. By April 2023, Dave Metzger was confirmed to compose the film's score, while Benjamin Rice joined Michaels to write the songs by contributing additional music.
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 22 nominations total
Critical Reception
It was the first Walt Disney Animation Studios film to be classified as "Rotten" on the site since Chicken Little (2005). Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 47 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews, becoming the lowest-rated Walt Disney Animation Studios film on the site. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 71% overall positive score.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Wish (2023)?
The production budget was $175,000,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $87,500,000 - $140,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $262,500,000 - $315,000,000.
How much did Wish (2023) earn at the box office?
Wish grossed $63,973,821 domestic, $191,023,539 international, totaling $254,997,360 worldwide.
Was Wish (2023) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $254,997,360 against an estimated $437,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Wish?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk); multi-year animation production, celebrity voice talent, and original musical compositions.
How does Wish's budget compare to similar animation films?
At $175,000,000, Wish is classified as a big-budget production. The median budget for wide-release animation films in the 2020s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 47 Ronin (2013, $175,000,000); Cars 3 (2017, $175,000,000); Coco (2017, $175,000,000).
Did Wish (2023) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What was the return on investment (ROI) for Wish?
The theatrical ROI was 45.7%, calculated as ($254,997,360 − $175,000,000) ÷ $175,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Wish (2023) win?
1 win & 22 nominations total.
Who directed Wish and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn, Chris Buck, written by Jennifer Lee, Allison Moore, Fawn Veerasunthorn, Chris Buck, with music by Dave Metzger, edited by Jeff Draheim.
Where was Wish filmed?
Wish was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Wish
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