Once Upon a Studio

Once Upon a Studio is a 2023 American live-action/animated crossover fantasy comedy short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios in celebration of the Walt Disney Company's centennial. Written and directed by Dan Abraham and Trent Correy,[1] it aired on ABC on October 15, 2023.[2] In the film, Disney characters come to life from pictures hanging on the walls of the Roy E. Disney Animation Building following the end of a usual work day.[3] The short's art style combines computer graphics, traditional animation and live-action, and features characters from the majority of the studio's works made up to that point, including all 62 feature films at the time of the short's release (including the then-forthcoming Wish), numerous short films, and some live-action Disney films featuring animation produced by the studio such as The Reluctant Dragon (1941), Mary Poppins (1964), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), and Pete's Dragon (1977).[4] The film was dedicated in memory of Burny Mattinson, the company's longest-serving employee,[5] who made a cameo in the short and died eight months before its release.[6] This is also the final work of Richard M. Sherman before his death in 2024.
Once Upon a Studio premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 11, 2023, and had its first public showing in the United States on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney on October 15, along with the linear television premiere of Encanto (2021). It was released on Disney+ on October 16 and on YouTube on December 24.[7]
== Plot ==
[edit]
On the day Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California turns 100, employees from the studio leave at the end of their work day. An intern converses with Burny Mattinson about the studio turning 100 years old, with Mattinson musing, "if these walls could talk..."
Inside the studio, Mattinson's wish comes true. Mickey Mouse, in a production cel from Mickey's Birthday Party, comes to life, and calls Tinker Bell (Peter Pan). Mickey asks her if all of the employees are gone, in which she nods. Excited, Mickey and Minnie Mouse jump out of the cel, with Minnie getting many of the characters from the studio's filmography to all meet in the lobby. While everyone is getting prepared, Mickey approaches a photograph of studio co-founder Walt Disney and, in a private moment, bittersweetly thanks him.
All the characters go outside to the lobby to take a group photo for the 100th anniversary with Mickey getting them together. However, Goofy accidentally falls off his ladder, causing the camera to break into pieces. Everyone starts to leave in disappointment as the group photo is cancelled. Just then, Alan-a-Dale (Robin Hood) plays "When You Wish Upon a Star" on his lute joined in by Scat Cat (The Aristocats) on his trumpet and Mirabel Madrigal (Encanto) on her accordion as Hathi Jr. (The Jungle Book) makes a trumpeting sound. Then other characters take turns singing. The brooms from Fantasia sweep up pieces of Goofy's camera remains, Fix-It Felix, Jr. (Wreck-It Ralph) repairs the camera to its original state, Hercules puts the ladder back in position, and the Fairy Godmother (Cinderella) uses her magic to help Goofy up the ladder while setting the camera up for the photo. As the rest of the crowd of characters finish up the song and pose for the group photo, Tinker Bell uses her wand to match cut to the finished photo.
The film ends with a tagline "To all who imagined with us, laughed with us, and dreamed with us, Thank You".
== Cast ==
[edit]
* Burny Mattinson as himself[8]
* Renika Williams as an intern
=== Voices ===
[edit]
* Scott Adsit as Baymax (Big Hero 6)[9]
* Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck[9]
* Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde (Zootopia)[9]
* Kristen Bell as Anna (Frozen)[10]
* Jodi Benson as Ariel (The Little Mermaid)[11]
* Robby Benson as the Beast (Beauty and the Beast)
* Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Antonio Madrigal (Encanto)[9]
* Griffen Campbell as Pinocchio
* Auli'i Cravalho as Moana[12]
* Jim Cummings as Baloo (The Jungle Book) and Winnie the Pooh[9]
* Ariana DeBose as Asha (Wish)[10]
* Chris Diamantopoulos as Mickey Mouse[13]
* Richard Epcar as Little John (Robin Hood)
* Bill Farmer as Goofy and Pluto[10]
* Keith Ferguson as Prince Charming (Cinderella)
* Josh Gad as Olaf (Frozen)[14]
* Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps (Zootopia)[10]
* Jonathan Groff as Kristoff (Frozen)[10]
* Jennifer Hale as Cinderella
* Jess Harnell as Scuttle (The Little Mermaid)
* Tom Hulce as Quasimodo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
* Jeremy Irons as Scar (The Lion King)[10]
* Dwayne Johnson as Maui (Moana)[15]
* Bob Joles as Cogsworth (Beauty and the Beast)[9]
* Judy Kuhn as Pocahontas
* Nathan Lane as Timon (The Lion King)[10]
* Luke Lowe as Flounder (The Little Mermaid)
* Idina Menzel as Elsa (Frozen)[10]
* Jim Meskimen as Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh) and Merlin (The Sword in the Stone)[9]
* Piotr Michael as Iago (Aladdin)
* Mandy Moore as Rapunzel (Tangled)[9]
* Paige O'Hara as Belle (Beauty and the Beast)[10]
* Raymond S. Persi as Flash (Zootopia)[9]
* Ian R'Mante as Thumper (Bambi)
* John C. Reilly as Wreck-It Ralph
* Phoenix Reisser as Mowgli (The Jungle Book)
* Kaitlyn Robrock as Minnie Mouse[12]
* Anika Noni Rose as Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)[10]
* Lea Salonga[10] as Mulan[6]
* Lee Slobotkin as Peter Pan
* Natalie Babbitt Taylor as Snow White
* Josh Robert Thompson as Grumpy (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
* Kelly Marie Tran as Raya
* Alan Tudyk as the Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland)[16]
* Scott Weinger as Aladdin[9]
* Richard White as Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)[9]
* Harland Williams as Carl (Meet the Robinsons)
* Daniel Wolfe as Robin Hood[9]
* James Woods as Hades (Hercules)
=== Archival recordings ===
[edit]
* Stan Alexander as Flower (Bambi)
* Stephen J. Anderson as Bowler Hat Guy (Meet the Robinsons)[17][18]
* Awkwafina as Sisu (Raya and the Last Dragon)
* Bill Baucom as Trusty (Lady and the Tramp)
* Peter Behn as Thumper (Bambi)
* Eric Blore as Mr. Toad (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad)
* Charlie Callas as Elliott (Pete's Dragon)
* Pat Carroll as Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
* Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan[12]
* Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket (Pinocchio)[19]
* Verna Felton as Flora (Sleeping Beauty)[12]
* Santino Fontana as Hans (Frozen)[12]
* Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jim Hawkins (Treasure Planet)
* Robert Guillaume as Rafiki (The Lion King)
* Sterling Holloway as the Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland), Kaa (The Jungle Book), and Winnie the Pooh[12]
* Billy Joel as Dodger (Oliver & Company)
* Charles Judels as Stromboli (Pinocchio)
* Barbara Luddy as Merryweather (Sleeping Beauty)[12]
* James MacDonald as Jaq and Gus (Cinderella)
* Bob Newhart as Bernard (The Rescuers)
* Clarence Nash as Donald Duck
* Adam Ryen as Cody (The Rescuers Down Under)
* Chris Sanders as Stitch (Lilo & Stitch)
* Sarah Silverman as Vanellope von Schweetz (Wreck-It Ralph)
* David Spade as Kuzco (The Emperor's New Groove)
* Mark Walton as Rhino (Bolt)
* Frank Welker as Abu (Aladdin) and Joanna (The Rescuers Down Under)
* Robin Williams as the Genie (Aladdin)[14]
* Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis (The Princess and the Frog)
* Alan Young as Scrooge McDuck (Mickey's Christmas Carol)