Once Upon a Studio

Once Upon a Studio
Promotional poster
Directed by
  • Dan Abraham
  • Trent Correy
Written by
  • Dan Abraham
  • Trent Correy
Produced byYvett Merino
Bradford Simonsen
StarringChris Diamantopoulos
CinematographyJohn Hasbrook (layout)
Daniel Rice (lighting)
Edited byMichael Louis Hill
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures[a]
Release dates
  • June 11, 2023 (2023-06-11) (Annecy)
  • October 13, 2023 (2023-10-13) (with a re-release of Moana)
  • October 15, 2023 (2023-10-15) (ABC)
Running time
9 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

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 (2023), 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]


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ Romano, Nick (October 16, 2023). "A 100-year Wish fulfilled: How Disney honors its legacy — and looks to the future — on the studio's centennial". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  2. ^ Gable, Melanie (October 15, 2023). "The making of the emotional 'Once Upon a Studio' Disney short". Attractions Magazine. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  3. ^ Official trailer on YouTube
  4. ^ Mccall, Kevin (September 21, 2023). "'Once Upon a Studio' Trailer Celebrates 100 Years of Disney Magic". Collider. Archived from the original on September 23, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  5. ^ "Once Upon a Studio|Once Upon a Legend – Walt Disney Animation Studios on YouTube". YouTube. January 16, 2024. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  6. ^ Steele, Bruce C. (October 10, 2023). "Meet the Characters of Disney Animation's Once Upon a Studio". D23. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  7. ^ Siegal, Jacob (December 26, 2023). "If you haven't seen it, you have to watch Disney's short film Once Upon a Studio". BGR. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.