Disney celebrates 100 years of marking the lives of several generations of fans with its iconic animations. For this reason, the company decided to celebrate as it should: creating an endearing story.
Thus, after its debut at the Annecy 2023 festival, the short called Once upon a time there was a studiowhich promises to bring together the vast majority of animated characters belonging to one of the most complete and well-known catalogs of audiovisual works in the history of cinema.
Are you ready to experience the magic? Here’s everything you need to know about it:
What is it about Once upon a time there was a studio?
In the short, Mickey Mouse will be in charge of gathering those who live inside the production house to capture a gigantic family photo. The official synopsis states the following:
“A stellar group of beloved Walt Disney Animation Studios characters come together in Once Upon a Studio, a joyful, fun and emotional reunion for a spectacular group photo to mark Disney’s centennial. Featuring 543 Disney characters from more than 85 feature films and shorts, Once Upon a Time Studio welcomes heroes and villains, princes and princesses, henchmen and sorcerers, in all-new hand-drawn and computer-generated animation to celebrate 10 decades. of stories, art and technological achievements.”
Production and voice cast team
Once upon a time there was a studio is directed by Dan Abraham (once upon a time there was a snowman) and Trent Correy (animator in great heroes), and produced by Yvett Merino (Charm) and Bradford Simonsen (Zootopia).
A particularity of the project is that most of its cast is made up of the talent that gave English voices to the characters in the original productions. You can even hear Robin Williams as the Genie of Aladdinand other performers who died, thanks to the incorporation of archival recordings, some unreleased.
Also participating, among others, Bill Farmer like Goofy, Cliff Edwards like Jiminy Cricket, Bobby Driscoll like Peter Pan, Verna Felton Like Flora. Barbara Luddy like spring, Sterling Holloway like Winnie the Pooh, Jodi Benson like Ariel, Paige O’Hara like Bella, Nathan Lane like Timon, Jeremy Irons like scar, Anika Noni Rose like Tiana, Ginnifer Goodwin like Judy Hopps, Idina Menzel like Elsa, Kristen Bell like Anna, Jonathan Groff like Kristoff, Josh Gad like Olaf, Ariana DeBose like Asha and Dwayne Johnson Like Maui.
When it was announced that Williams would be back thanks to the archived audio, many people on social networks were upset, since it is known that, when he signed his contract, the comedian prohibited the studio from using his voice for at least 25 years after his death, and he passed away in 2014. Faced with criticism, Josh Gad, Olaf’s interpreter, clarified the matter by saying the following (via):
«It is important not to jump to conclusions before knowing all the facts. Acting with my idol posthumously, with unpublished dialogues, would NEVER EVER happen without the consent of his heirs. My love for Robin Williams is literally unmatched and I would never do anything unless I was guaranteed it had the right approval and support. What Disney animation has done with the AMAZING short Once Upon a Time in a Studio is not just a love letter to my creative hero (and the reason I wanted to play Olaf in the first place), but to a truly 100-year legacy. unmatched. Please enjoy the beautiful things!
What can we expect from the short?
In an interview with the site Laughing Place, one of the directors, Dan Abraham, talked about the way the characters are presented. These were his words:
«We wanted to have everyone, but it is not possible. We have more than 500 characters. And every main character from every movie is represented, and from a lot of the shorts too. And then we came up with jokes and ideas and mixes between characters and situations that led to what would follow. And we went on and on and on until we finally had a list, like, ‘You know what? We don’t have this movie represented very well yet, where can we get that character?’”
When is it released and where to see it?
The short film can be seen from October 16 on Disney Plus.
Poster
Official trailer for Once upon a time there was a studio (in English)
Official trailer (dubbed)
José Roberto Landaverde I am fascinated by writing, listening, reading and commenting on everything related to cinema. I love music and I am a fan of The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and Paramore. My favorite movies are Rocky and Back to the Future and obviously one day I will climb the “Philly Steps” and drive a DeLorean. Faithful believer that cinema is the best teleporting machine, and also that on the big screen we can all see ourselves represented.