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
- Dan Abraham
- Trent Correy
- Dan Abraham
- Trent Correy
Yvett Merino
Bradford Simonsen
John Hasbrook (layout)
Daniel Rice (lighting)
Michael Louis Hill
9 minutes
United States
English
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 wishing the 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 ready, 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. Everyone starts to leave as the group photo is cancelled. Until, 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) fixes the camera, 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".
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Once Upon a Studio was created spontaneously in preparation for the Walt Disney Company's centennial in October 2023;[20] directors Trent Correy and Dan Abraham discussed ideas during their free time[21] for approximately eight months.[22] The duo called the film a "love letter" to Walt Disney Animation Studios as well as "a thank you to anyone in the audience that's ever connected with a film over the last hundred years."[20][23]
The short film includes 543 characters[24] from the studio's feature and short films, up to Wish (2023), and vocals from more than 40 voice actors.[20] Archival recordings were used for certain actors who died before production or were unavailable to do so, this included the Genie's dialogue which was sourced from previously unused audio recorded by Robin Williams[25] according to Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf, under acceptance from Williams' estate.[14] Other archive recordings taken from their original films include Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan and Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket, as the filmmakers were intended not to recast those characters.[16]
Reception[edit]
Ratings[edit]
The short became a commercial success and premiered on ABC as a "sustainer" to the network television premiere of Encanto from 8:00pm to 8:11pm, in which it received 2.57 million total viewers in 1.736 million households, with a 1.39/4 HH rating. It also received a 0.45/4 adults 18–49 rating/share, which was equivalent to 0.587 million viewers watching in that demographic.[47] Its premiere on Disney Channel on Monday, October 16, 2023 at 6:05pm (serving as a sustainer to a "Disney Channel Movie"[48]) received 0.349 million viewers, making the highest rated program on the network that week and the 343rd most viewed program on all of cable television.[49] It received a 0.11 P2+ rating, and 0.10 rating with adults 18–49, equivalent to 0.131 million viewers in that demographic.[50]