Big (film)

Lore & Background

The Italian film Da grande (1987) has been said to be the inspiration for Big. Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg developed the story in one hour; days after the script was completed they sold it to James L. Brooks and 20th Century Fox. Anne's brother Steven Spielberg was attached to direct the film and wanted to cast Harrison Ford as Josh but Spielberg dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with Empire of the Sun (1987). Ford also pursued other projects instead. Spielberg would later say that his decision to not direct the film was not to take any credit away from his sister. Kevin Costner, Steve Guttenberg, Warren Beatty, Dennis Quaid and Matthew Modine were all offered the role of Josh, all of whom turned it down. Quaid turned it down for another project, a decision he later regretted. Albert Brooks was also offered the role but turned it down as he did not want to play a kid. Jeff Bridges was also considered for the role. John Travolta wanted to play Josh, but the studio wasn't interested in casting him. Sean Penn was considered for the role, but Marshall deemed him too young. Gary Busey auditioned for the role, but Marshall did not think he could pull off playing an adult. Andy García read for Josh, but one of the studio executives did not want to spend $18 million for 'a kid to grow to be Puerto Rican' (García is actually Cuban). Debra Winger tried to convince Marshall to rewrite Josh as a woman. Marshall also auditioned other comic male actors for the role, but she found their performances 'too broad'. Robert De Niro was cast in the lead role with Elizabeth Perkins. He later dropped out due to 'scheduling conflicts' and was replaced by Tom Hanks. Hanks and Loggia made two cardboard pianos and practiced them at home; the studio hired doubles in case Hanks and Loggia did not get it right. Prior to filming, Hanks spent time with Jared Rushton and David Moscow and attempted to emulate Moscow's body language and acting style in order to make a convincing performance of being the adult version of the child actor. At the time of the film's release, Big (1988) was part of a series of twin films featuring an age-changing plot produced during the late 1980s, including Like Father Like Son (1987), 18 Again! (1988), Vice Versa (1988) and 14 Going on 30 (1988).

Reader's Guide

Big was the first feature film directed by a woman to gross over $100 million. During its opening weekend, the film opened in second place behind Crocodile Dundee II, earning $8.2 million. The film ultimately grossed nearly $115 million in the United States and Canada and $36.7 million internationally, totaling $151.7 million worldwide. Critical response was positive. Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised Hanks's performance, writing 'Wide-eyed, excited and wonderfully guileless, [he] is an absolute delight, and the film is shrewd in relieving him of the responsibility to behave furtively and hide his altered condition.' Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune felt 'Hanks proves himself to be an adept comedian here'; however, he wrote the film 'is at its best when romance blooms at a toy company where Elizabeth Perkins is an executive and Hanks has become a star vice president with his innocent approach to picking best-selling toys.' Roger Ebert, in his Chicago Sun-Times review, wrote: 'Big is a tender, soft-hearted, and cheerful movie, well-directed by Penny Marshall and with a script by Anne Spielberg and Gary Ross that has a lot of fun with simple verbal misunderstandings ... Hanks, who had a tendency to push too hard, I thought, in Nothing in Common, this time finds a vulnerability and sweetness for his character that's quite appealing.' Jay Boyar of the Orlando Sentinel highlighted Hanks for his 'invincible amiability' and further wrote 'Elizabeth Perkins gives a smart, sexy performance as Susan, and Robert Loggia has a crusty whimsicality as Josh's boss.' Altogether, he wrote 'Big isn't a heavy-message movie, but there are a couple of ideas behind it, ideas that help focus the action. Marshall and the screenwriters want us to know that we should stay in touch with the child inside us.' The film proved to be pivotal to Hanks' career, establishing him as a major box-office draw as well as a critical favorite.

Did You Know?

• Robert De Niro was originally cast in the lead role but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
• Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia made two cardboard pianos and practiced at home for the FAO Schwarz scene.

Development & Creative Vision

Wish entered its development phase back in 2018, yet the project remained under wraps until January 2022, when Jennifer Lee's involvement in an original Disney Animation feature first surfaced publicly. By September of that year, the film's title, the casting of Ariana DeBose and Alan Tudyk, and the directorial team of Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn were all confirmed. Notably, Buck and Veerasunthorn had previously collaborated with Lee on Frozen and Frozen II, bringing a proven creative chemistry to the project. Allison Moore was later brought on to co-write the screenplay. The musical score was handled by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice for songs, with Dave Metzger composing the orchestral score. The film was conceived as a celebration of Disney's centennial, weaving together the recurring theme of wishes coming true across the studio's catalog while also positioning itself as the origin story for the beloved wishing star. Visually, the production blended computer-generated animation with the aesthetic sensibility of traditional hand-drawn work.

Story & Central Conflict

Set in the Mediterranean island kingdom of Rosas, the film centers on 17-year-old Asha, who discovers that King Magnifico, a sorcerer, has been collecting his subjects' wishes and sealing them away rather than granting them. The system requires citizens to surrender the memory of their wish, with only one being fulfilled each month at a ceremonial event. When Asha's grandfather Sabino's wish to inspire the next generation is denied as too vague, she confronts the king and is rejected as his apprentice. Desperate, she makes a wish upon a star, and a living, anthropomorphic star of light descends from the sky. Together with her pet goat Valentino and a group of friends, Asha works to free the kingdom's trapped wishes. Magnifico, threatened by Star's presence, turns to forbidden dark magic, ultimately absorbing the power of every wish and blocking out the sky. The climax hinges on the citizens' collective desire to change their future, which overpowers the sorcerer and releases the wishes back to their owners.

Release & Commercial Performance

Wish held its premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on November 8, 2023, followed by a wide theatrical release in the United States on November 22. Despite the high-profile cast and Disney's marketing push, the film drew mixed critical reviews. Financially, it proved challenging: the picture earned approximately $255 million globally against a production budget estimated between $175 million and $200 million. Industry analysts classified it as a box-office underperformer, calculating that the studio absorbed an estimated $131 million loss even after factoring in revenue from streaming and home entertainment windows. On the streaming front, however, the film found a strong audience, becoming the third most-viewed premiere among Walt Disney Animation Studios titles on Disney+. The film also earned recognition in awards circles, including a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.

Voice Cast & Character Dynamics

The ensemble voice cast brings depth to Rosas's inhabitants. Ariana DeBose voices Asha, a character director Chris Buck described as energetic and proudly connected to her community. Chris Pine portrays King Magnifico, the sorcerer-king who hoards his subjects' wishes in sealed bubbles; writer Allison Moore emphasized that his motivations stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of what wishes represent to people. Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, and Natasha Rothwell round out the principal cast. The story introduces a rich supporting world: Asha's mother Sakina, her grandfather Sabino, her pet goat Valentino, and a circle of friends including Dahlia, Gabo, Hal, Bazeema, Safi, and Dario. Queen Amaya, Magnifico's wife, ultimately sides with Asha after witnessing her husband's corruption. Simon, one of Asha's friends, betrays her in exchange for a wish to become a knight, only to be bewitched into servitude. The film also features talking forest animals granted speech by Star's magic, reinforcing the theme that all life is made of stardust.