Chinese stars help Disney's 'Wish' come to life

According to the movie's production designers, the distinctively visual style of Wish finds its roots in the studio's early classics, from 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to 1940's Pinocchio and 1959's Sleeping Beauty.

Lee, who joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2011 and has served as the chief creative officer since 2018, still clearly remembers the first day she walked into the office.

"I came out of the elevator from the car park, and there was a giant star. Maybe that was symbolic of where we would be going. I walked through the doors, and (statues or pictures of) Winnie the Pooh were everywhere. I had to pause for a minute. I was emotional because it had been a childhood dream to be a part of Disney. I almost couldn't believe that I was there. And yet, at the same time, I felt like I had come home," she recalls emotionally.

Over the past decade, she has been credited on a series of blockbusters, from being the writer and director of the Frozen franchise and one of the writers of the Oscar-winning 2016 film Zootopia, to her role as an executive producer of the 2018 Oscar-nominated feature Ralph Breaks the Internet.

When asked about her wish after wrapping up the new film, she replies with a gentle smile: "I really hope that this film gives people hope, helps them reconnect with what drives their heart and their wishes, and makes them feel more possibility. I hope that, in many ways, this film reminds us of all the beautiful ways in which we are connected."