Once Upon a Studio

Once Upon a Studio is a 2023 American short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Created in honor of Disney's 100th anniversary in 2023, the short features over 500 Disney characters coming to life from pictures hanging on the walls of an animation studio, as they gather together outside the studio for a group photo. The short combines live-action, traditional animation and computer animation.

The short premiered on June 11, 2023 at the Annecy Film Festival, and was later broadcast on ABC on October 15, followed by Disney Channel, Disney Junior, FX, FXX, FXM and Freeform on October 16, and will be shown in theaters on November 22 alongside Wish. It is dedicated to Burny Mattinson, who posthumously appeared in a live-action role and died eight months before the short's release.

Synopsis
"An all-star ensemble of beloved characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios come together in Once Upon a Studio for a joyful, entertaining and emotional reunion as they assemble for a spectacular group photo to mark Disney's 100th anniversary. Featuring 543 characters from more than 85 Disney feature-length and short films, Once Upon a Studio welcomes heroes and villains, princes and princesses, sidekicks and sorcerers—in all-new hand-drawn and CG animation—to celebrate 10 decades of storytelling, artistry and technological achievements."

- Official description

Plot
At the Roy E. Disney Animation building, its employees are leaving as their usual workday is done. A Disney intern talks with Disney Legend and animator Burny Mattinson about the studio turning 100. As they leave, Mattinson says "If these walls could talk."

Inside the studio, Mickey Mouse, as seen in a production cel for Mickey's Birthday Party, comes to life, and calls Tinker Bell from Peter Pan. Mickey asks her if all of the employees are gone, in which she nods. Excited, Mickey, with his girlfriend Minnie, jump out of the cel, and Minnie gets many of the characters from the studio's filmography to all meet in the lobby. While everyone is getting ready, Mickey looks up at a photograph of studio co-founder Walt Disney and, in a private moment, somberly thanks him.

Everyone goes outside to take a group photo with Mickey getting them together. However, Goofy accidentally falls off his ladder, breaking the camera. Everyone prepares to leave in disappointment as the group photo is cancelled. Just then, Alan-a-Dale from Robin Hood plays "When You Wish Upon a Star" on his lute joined in by Scat Cat from The Aristocats on his trumpet and Mirabel Madrigal from Encanto on her accordion as Hathi Jr. from The Jungle Book does a trumpeting sound. As various characters join in singing, the brooms from Fantasia sweep up Goofy's camera, Fix-It Felix, Jr. from Wreck-It Ralph fixes the camera, Hercules puts the ladder back in position, and the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella uses her magic to help Goofy up the ladder while setting the camera up for the photo. Soon, spurred by Snow White, Mulan, Asha from Wish, Winnie the Pooh, and finally Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio, everyone sings the end of the song. Tinker Bell then uses her wand to cut the scene to the group photo, and the film ends with a tagline "To all who have imagined with us, laughed with us, and dreamed with us, Thank You."

Cast and characters



 * Scott Adsit as Baymax
 * Stan Alexander as Flower
 * Stephen J. Anderson as Bowler Hat Guy
 * Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck
 * Awkwafina as Sisu
 * Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde
 * Bill Baucom as Trusty
 * Peter Behn as Thumper
 * Kristen Bell as Anna
 * Jodi Benson as Ariel
 * Robby Benson as Beast
 * Eric Blore as Mr. Toad
 * Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Antonio
 * Griffen Campbell as Pinocchio
 * Pat Carroll as Ursula
 * Auli'i Cravalho as Moana
 * Jim Cummings as Baloo and Winnie the Pooh
 * Ariana DeBose as Asha
 * Chris Diamantopoulos as Mickey Mouse
 * Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan
 * Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket
 * Richard Epcar as Little John
 * Bill Farmer as Goofy and Pluto
 * Verna Felton as Flora
 * Keith Ferguson as Prince Charming
 * Santino Fontana as Hans
 * Josh Gad as Olaf
 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps
 * Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jim Hawkins
 * Jonathan Groff as Kristoff
 * Robert Guillaume as Rafiki
 * Jennifer Hale as Cinderella
 * Jess Harnell as Scuttle
 * Sterling Holloway as Cheshire Cat, Kaa and Winnie the Pooh
 * Tom Hulce as Quasimodo
 * Jeremy Irons as Scar
 * Billy Joel as Dodger
 * Dwayne Johnson as Maui
 * Bob Joles as Cogsworth
 * Charles Judels as Stromboli
 * Judy Kuhn as Pocahontas
 * Nathan Lane as Timon
 * Luke Lowe as Flounder
 * Barbara Luddy as Merryweather
 * Jimmy MacDonald as Jaq and Gus
 * Burny Mattinson as himself
 * Idina Menzel as Elsa
 * Jim Meskimen as Eeyore and Merlin
 * Piotr Michael as Iago
 * Mandy Moore as Rapunzel
 * Clarence Nash as Donald Duck
 * Bob Newhart as Bernard
 * Paige O'Hara as Belle
 * Raymond S. Persi as Flash
 * Ian R'Mante as Thumper
 * John C. Reilly as Wreck-It Ralph
 * Phoenix Reisser as Mowgli
 * Kaitlyn Robrock as Minnie Mouse
 * Anika Noni Rose as Tiana
 * Adam Ryen as Cody
 * Lea Salonga as Mulan
 * Chris Sanders as Stitch
 * Sarah Silverman as Vanellope von Schweetz
 * Lee Slobotkin as Peter Pan
 * David Spade as Kuzco
 * Natalie Babbitt Taylor as Snow White
 * Josh Robert Thompson as Grumpy
 * Kelly Marie Tran as Raya
 * Alan Tudyk as the Mad Hatter
 * Mark Walton as Rhino
 * Scott Weinger as Aladdin
 * Frank Welker as Abu and Joanna
 * Richard White as Gaston
 * Harland Williams as Carl
 * Renika Williams as a Disney intern
 * Robin Williams as Genie
 * Daniel Wolfe as Robin Hood
 * James Woods as Hades
 * Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis
 * Alan Young as Scrooge McDuck

Also appearing are Tinker Bell, Bambi, Thumper, Flower, Friend Owl, Bolt, Mittens, Penny, Wendy Darling, John Darling, Michael Darling, the Lost Boys, Nana, Tick-Tock the Crocodile, Jock, Lady, Tramp, Peg, Fauna, Christopher Robin, Kanga, Roo, Meeko, Flit, John Smith, Nakoma, Chief Powhatan, Governor Ratcliffe, Percy, Ocean, Pua, Heihei, Cri-Kee, Mushu, Li Shang, Yao, Ling, and Chien Po, Pascal, Cinderella's bird friends, Happy, Doc, Dopey, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, the Prince, the Evil Queen (in Old Hag form), Blue Fairy, Geppetto, Figaro, Cleo, Honest John, Gideon, Aurora, Prince Phillip, Maleficent, Pongo, Perdita, the Dalmatian Puppies, Roger, Anita, Nanny, Cruella De Vil, John Henry, Amos, Benjamin Franklin, Philoctetes, Rutt and Tuke, Kenai, Koda, Maggie, Mrs. Calloway, Grace, the Small One, Cyril Proudbottom, Angus MacBadger, Mole, Water Rat, Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel, Brom Bones, The Headless Horseman, Ryder, Honeymaren, Lieutenant Mattias, Sven, Oaken, Grand Pabbie, Bruni, Hiro Hamada, Go Go Tomago, Fred, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Aunt Cass, Chernabog, Tuk Tuk, Boun, Noi, Tong, Namaari, Splat, Jaeger Clade, Searcher Clade, Ethan Clade, Meridian Clade, Callisto Mal, Legend, Prince Eric, Sebastian, Max, Luisa Madrigal, Pacha, Kronk, Yzma, Bagheera,  Shere Khan, King Louie, Colonel Hathi, Winifred, Hathi, Jr., Shanti, Lady Tremaine, Lucifer, Anastasia Tremaine, Drizella Tremaine, Bruno Madrigal, Mr. Smee, Captain Hook, Fifer Pig, Fiddler Pig, Practical Pig, Big Bad Wolf, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, Clara Cluck, Chip and Dale, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Daisy Duck, Pete, Spike the Bee, Ludwig Von Drake, Susie the Little Blue Coupe, Pecos Bill, Widowmaker, Slue-Foot Sue, Joe, Jenny, the Golden Harp, Bongo, Humphrey the Bear, J. Audubon Woodlore, Mother Gothel, Taran, Eilonwy, Fflewddur Fflam, Hen Wen, Gurgi, Creeper, the Horned King, Ferdinand the Bull, Johnny Appleseed, Alice Blue Bonnet, Johnny Fedora, the Reluctant Dragon, Peter, Sonia, Sasha, Ivan, Flynn Rider, Maximus, Fix-It Felix Jr., Sergeant Calhoun, Taffyta Muttonfudge, King Candy, KnowsMore, Shank, Yesss, Mirabel Madrigal, Alma Madrigal, Agustín Madrigal, Julieta Madrigal, Isabela Madrigal, Pepa Madrigal, Félix Madrigal, Camilo Madrigal, Dolores Madrigal, Marie, Berlioz, Toulouse, Tod, Copper, Oliver, Georgette, Tito, Francis, Einstein, Rita, Duchess, Thomas O'Malley, Roquefort, Scat Cat, Edgar, Simba, Nala, Pumbaa, Zazu, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, Fairy Godmother, Jafar, Jasmine, Rajah, the Sultan, Magic Carpet, Wayne, Lanny, Elliott, Alan-A-Dale, Basil, Olivia, Dawson, Ratigan, Fidget, Esmeralda, Djali, Phoebus, Frollo, Victor, Hugo, and Laverne, Dumbo, Timothy Q. Mouse, Aladar, Plio, Yar, Zini, Suri, Hercules, Megara, Pegasus, Zeus, Pain and Panic, Piglet, Tigger, Owl, Rabbit, Gopher, Prince John, Sir Hiss, Maid Marian, Lady Kluck, Sheriff of Nottingham, Friar Tuck, Skippy, Sis, Tagalong, Toby Turtle, Big Mama, Dinky and Boomer, Miss Bianca, Penny, Madame Medusa, Mr. Snoops, Orville, Wilbur, Jake, Percival C. McLeach, Lilo, Nani, David, Jumba, Pleakley, Tarzan, Jane, Terk, Tantor, Kala, Kerchak, Clayton, Milo Thatch, Kida, Vinny, Audrey, Sweet, Molière, Mrs. Packard, Cookie, Nessie, John Silver, Morph, B.E.N., Captain Amelia, Dr. Doppler, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Lewis Robinson, Wilbur Robinson, Lucille Krunklehorn, DOR-15, Arthur, Archimedes, Madam Mim, Merlin's sugar bowl, the March Hare, Alice, the White Rabbit, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the Queen of Hearts, the King of Hearts, the Penguin Waiters, Fifi, José Carioca, Panchito, Pedro, Ben Ali Gator, Hyacinth Hippo, Madame Upanova, Bacchus, Jacchus, Melinda, Brudus, Yen Sid, the Magic Brooms, Duke, Flying John, Rachel, Joe, Prince Naveen, Ray, Charlotte La Bouff, Mama Odie, Juju, Dr. Facilier, King Leonidas, the Secretary Bird, Chicken Little, Abby Mallard, Runt of the Litter, Fish Out of Water,  Lambert Lion, Chief Bogo, Clawhauser, Gazelle, Mr. Big,  Fru Fru, Koslov, Bellwether, The Ugly Duckling, the Robin Williams Lost Boy from Back to Never Land, Winston from Feast, George and the lipstick paper airplane from Paperman, Paul from Inner Workings, Art and Dot from Us Again, four Skeletons from The Skeleton Dance, the trees from Flowers and Trees, Casey, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

Production
Once Upon a Studio was created spontaneously in preparation for The Walt Disney Company's centennial in October 2023; directors Trent Correy and Dan Abraham discussed ideas during their free time for approximately eight months. 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".

The short film includes more than 543 characters from the studio's feature and short films, including those the upcoming film, Wish (2023), and vocals from more than 40 voice actors. This includes the Genie's dialogue which was sourced from previously unused audio recorded by Robin Williams according to Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf, under acceptance from the Williams' estate. Once Upon a Studio combines traditional animation, computer animation, and live-action.

Release
Once Upon a Studio premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival during the opening day celebration on June 11, 2023. It made its television premiere on ABC on October 15, 2023, as part of The Wonderful World of Disney: Disney's 100th Anniversary Celebration. The short film was released for streaming on Hulu and Disney+ on October 16, 2023, and was broadcasted on Disney's linear television networks, including the Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Freeform, FX, FXM and FXX. It will be released alongside Wish on November 22.