See 543 Disney characters pose for a group photo in ‘Once Upon a Studio’
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
(CNN) — As Disney celebrates its 100 year anniversary on Monday, the walls of the company’s animation studio come alive in the new short film, “Once Upon a Studio.”
In the 12-minute short, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, with the help of Tinker Bell, lead the charge in bringing 543 Disney characters – villains included – together for a group photo to mark the occasion. Burny Mattinson, an animator who worked for the studio for 70 years, locks the doors to Disney’s Burbank animation studio as the characters file out.
“Let’s get the gang!” Minnie says, as she proceeds to send the signal by singing, “yoo-hoo!”
Characters from more than 85 Disney films over ten decades are featured.
Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, who voice “Frozen” characters Anna and Elsa, respectively, along with Jeremy Irons (Scar from “The Lion King), Jodi Benson (Ariel from “The Little Mermaid”) and 40 other voice actors, according to Variety, returned to lend their voices to the project.
The Genie from “Aladdin,” voiced by the late Robin Williams, is also featured in the short, using some the actor’s original recordings, according to producer Brad Simonsen.
In a poignant moment, a frantic Mickey Mouse stops in a hallway when he sees a portrait of Walt Disney himself. Mickey removes his hat, pays his respects to the man who created him and says, “Gotta go, but thanks! On with the show.”
Outside, Goofy attempts to set up the camera atop a ladder but tumbles to the ground and the camera breaks.
When characters begin to sing “When You Wish Upon a Star” from the 1940 animated classic “Pinocchio,” Cinderella’s fairy godmother waves her wand to place Goofy and the camera atop the ladder as all 543 characters are finally assembled to take their photo.
“To all who have imagined with us, laughed with us, and dreamed with us, thank you,” text written across the screen at the end of the short reads.
“Once Upon a Studio” is streaming now on Disney+.
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