A Simple Wish_
"Anabel made a wish. Murray made a mess."
Murray is a male fairy godmother, and he is trying to help 8-year-old Anabel to fulfil her "simple wish" - that her father Oliver, who is a cab driver, would win the leading role in a Broadway musical. Unfortunately, Murray's magic wand is broken and the fairies convention is threatened by evil witches Claudia and Boots.
Starring
Martin Short, Kathleen Turner, Mara Wilson
Box Office
$8.3M
Updated Feb 16, 2026
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Box office
A Simple Wish earned $8.3M against a $28.0M budget.
Year context
A Simple Wish was released 29 years ago in 1997.
A Simple Wish is a Adventure, Comedy, Family film with a runtime of 1h 29m.
CAST (20)
Martin Short
Murray
Kathleen Turner
Claudia
Mara Wilson
Anabel Greening
Robert Pastorelli
Oliver Greening
Deborah Odell
Jeri
Francis Capra
Charlie Greening
Ruby Dee
Hortence
Amanda Plummer
Boots
Teri Garr
Rena
Jonathan Hadary
Lord Richard
Alan Campbell
Tony Sable
Lanny Flaherty
Duane
Clare Coulter
Ms. Bramble
Neil Foster
Manny
Jamie Tirelli
Joe
Jack McGee
Officer O'York
LR
Lillian Ritchie
Schoolgirl
MR
Miriam Ritchie
Schoolgirl
HD
Hans Dieter Trayer
German Tourist (as H.D. Trayer)
ST
Sabine Thomson
German Tourist
BOX OFFICE
$28.0M
Budget
$8.3M
Revenue
-70%
ROI
FLOP
Verdict
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
89 min (1h 29m)
Country
Rating
5.5/10 (170 votes)
Budget
$28,000,000
Box Office
$8,345,056
Profit
$-19,654,944
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is A Simple Wish about?
Murray is a male fairy godmother, and he is trying to help 8-year-old Anabel to fulfil her "simple wish" - that her father Oliver, who is a cab driver, would win the leading role in a Broadway musical. Unfortunately, Murray's magic wand is broken and the fairies convention is threatened by evil witches Claudia and Boots.
How long is A Simple Wish?
A Simple Wish has a runtime of 89 minutes (1h 29m).
Who stars in A Simple Wish?
The cast of A Simple Wish includes Martin Short, Kathleen Turner, Mara Wilson, Robert Pastorelli, Deborah Odell.
How much did A Simple Wish make at the box office?
A Simple Wish earned $8,345,056 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $28,000,000.
What is the rating of A Simple Wish?
A Simple Wish has a rating of 5.5 out of 10 based on 170 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (4)
Adventure
Comedy
Family
Fantasy