Disney’s new shot Once Upon a Studio has become an instant favorite for Disney fans due to its inclusion of countless beloved Disney characters. However, the short also highlights a couple of Disney Legends who may not have been noticed quite as much as some of those characters.
- Set at the end of the workday at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California, Once Upon a Studio begins with Disney Legend Burny Mattinson—The Walt Disney Company’s longest-serving employee of 70 years, who passed away in 2023—being the last person to walk out the door.
- Then, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse step out of a framed picture and corral 541 other characters for an official 100th anniversary portrait.
- A jack of all trades, Mattinson made his onscreen debut in Once Upon a Studio after decades spent as an animator and in-betweener, a storyboard artist, a director, a producer, and an inspiration to countless people within Disney Animation and outside its walls.
- Mattinson wasn’t the only Disney Legend to share his time and talents with the Once Upon a Studio filmmakers.
- As Abraham and Correy contemplated the musical cue that would accompany a tender moment in which Mickey expresses gratitude to a portrait of Walt Disney, they knew it had to be something special in keeping with that emotional moment. There was only one song that fit the bill: “Feed the Birds,” by Disney Legends Richard Sherman and Robert Sherman.
- And so, on a Friday afternoon in August 2022, Directors/writers Dan Abraham and Trent Correy joined Richard in the very same place where he and his brother would regularly perform the lullaby for Walt.
- “It’s very nice to be back in Walt’s office. It’s just the way it was when I was much younger and Walt was here; piano’s the same,” Sherman said. “ Walt’s not here, but his spirit’s here.”
- Once Upon a Studio is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
What they’re saying:
- Eric Goldberg, Head of Hand Drawn Animation for Once Upon a Studio: “Burny Mattinson’s involvement in Once Upon a Studio was not only right, it was necessary, because he was our link with the Disney legacy. I don’t think there’s any way we could have made the film without having honored Burny in it.”
More on Once Upon a Studio:
- Once Upon a Studio is now available to stream on both Disney+ and Hulu.
- Once Upon a Studio will also play theatrically in front of the Disney100 special engagement of Moana—now showing in theaters through October 26th.
- 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.
- Once Upon a Studio is directed by Dan Abraham and Trent Correy and produced by Yvett Merino and Bradford Simonsen. Our own Alex Reif took a few moments to talk with Dan and Trent, and you can read that here.
- The short originally debuted as part of the Annecy Festival in June, where it was also announced that the short will be attached with the upcoming film from the studio, Wish. You can read more about that original screening plus a review of the short, here.
- See what Tony thought of Once Upon a Studio following the fantastic short's debut on ABC. Also, go behind the scenes of the new short in our coverage of a recent press day.