Once Upon a Studio is a 2023 American live-action animated fantasy comedy short film written and directed by Dan Abraham and Trent Correy. Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, it is commissioned for the occasion of the Walt Disney Company's centennial.

In the film, Disney characters come to life from pictures and animation frames hanging on the walls of the Roy E. Disney Animation Building following the end of a usual work day.[1] Combining computer graphics and traditional animation on live-action backgrounds, the short features characters from the majority of the studio's works made up to that point.[b] The film is dedicated to Burny Mattinson, the company's longest-serving employee,[3] who makes a cameo appearance and died eight months before its release.[4]

Once Upon a Studio premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 11, 2023, and had its first public screening in the United States on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney on October 15, along with the world television premiere of Encanto.

Plot

On October 16, 2023, employees from Walt Disney Animation Studios, which is celebrating its centennial, leave at the end of their work day. An intern (Renika Williams) 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 (1942), comes to life and calls Tinker Bell (Peter Pan, 1953). Mickey asks her if all of the employees are gone, to 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. In various places in the building, different characters begin to prepare for the meeting. While everyone is getting prepared, Mickey approaches a photograph of studio co-founder Walt Disney and thanks him in a private, somber moment while "Feed the Birds" (Disney's favorite song) plays in the background.

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, thus causing the camera to break into pieces. Everyone starts to leave sadly as the group photo is apparently canceled. Just then, Alan-a-Dale (Robin Hood, 1973) plays "When You Wish Upon a Star" on his lute, joined in by other characters playing their instruments and taking turns to sing the song's lyrics.

Meanwhile, the Magic Brooms (Fantasia, 1940) sweep up the pieces of Goofy's camera, Fix-It Felix, Jr. (Wreck-It Ralph, 2012) repairs the camera to its original state, Hercules (Hercules, 1997) puts the ladder back in position, and the Fairy Godmother (Cinderella, 1950) uses her magic to help Goofy up the ladder while setting the camera up for the photo. The rest of the group of characters sing the next line in the song, before Mickey holds up Jiminy Cricket (Pinocchio, 1940), who leads the assembled characters for the song's final line before they pose for the group photo, with Tinker Bell using her wand to match cut to the finished photo.

The short film ends with a tagline that reads, "To all who imagined with us, laughed with us, and dreamed with us. Thank you".

The 2023 Walt Disney Animation Studios short film Once Upon a Studio features 543 characters from over 85 feature films, cartoon shorts, and hybrid projects spanning 100 years of history. [1, 2]

Key Characters & Groups

• The Classics & Core Cast: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Pinocchio, Snow White, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Winnie the Pooh.

• Princesses & Heroes: Tiana (The Princess and the Frog), Moana, Elsa and Anna (Frozen), Aladdin, Jasmine, Hercules, and Mulan.

• Sidekicks & Animal Companions: Genie and Abu (Aladdin), Timon and Pumbaa (The Lion King), Stitch (Lilo & Stitch), Flounder (The Little Mermaid), and Bambi.

• Villains: Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), Captain Hook (Peter Pan), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Jafar (Aladdin), and Judge Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame).

• Modern Additions: Characters from Zootopia (Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde), Wreck-It Ralph (Vanellope von Schweetz), Encanto, Meet the Robinsons, and Wish. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]