An all-star ensemble of iconic characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios will come together in Once Upon a Studio for a joyful, entertaining and emotional reunion as they assemble - many for the first time - for an epic 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.
Some new stills have been released (via Toonado.com) from the upcoming short film today, showcasing an unexpected meeting between Moana's title character and The Little Mermaid's Flounder. We also see classic versions of Mickey Mouse, Minnie, and the cast of Peter Pan enter the real world in Disney's Burbank HQ.
Among the confirmed cast members are Idina Menzel as the voice of Elsa, Jodi Benson as the voice of Ariel, Jeremy Irons as the voice of Scar, Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Maui, Anika Noni Rose as the voice of Tiana, Bret Iwan as the voice of Mickey Mouse, and Kaitlyn Robrock as the voice of Minnie Mouse.
Once Upon a Studio will also feature archival recordings of Cliff Edwards as the voice of Jiminy Cricket, Robin Williams as the voice of the Genie, Verna Felton as the voice of Flora, Bobby Driscoll as the voice of Peter Pan, and more.
Jennifer Lee, Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, recently shared some insights into how this short became a reality. "I could not stop crying [when it was pitched]. I came back, and I just said, we have to find a way to make this. And I do give a lot of thanks to Clark Spencer, the President, who had to handle a budget unlike anything we'd seen for a short before, I won't say what it was."
"And to the company who said yes, even though knowing it was going to take a lot to make it happen. There was no time built into the slate for it, but the whole studio said, we have to do it," she continued. "So everyone just did everything they could to make it happen. But like I said, I knew from that first pitch that this was something special. Amazing."
Written and directed by Dan Abraham and Trent Correy and produced by Yvett Merino and Bradford Simonsen, Once Upon a Studio will premiere on ABC on October 15 as part of The Wonderful World of Disney: Disney's 100th Anniversary Celebration. It's also set to hit Disney+ in the UK on October 16.
The short will also play in front of Disney Animation's Wish on November 22, and you can take a closer look at these newly released stills below.