Robin Williams appears as Genie in the recently released Disney+ short film Once Upon a Studio, a move that came to fruition thanks to the help of archival footage and Williams’ estate.
Speaking to Variety, producer Bradford Simonsen said that from the very beginning, the team behind the short film knew that they wanted Williams’ iconic role involved in some way. The producer mentioned that Disney reached out to his estate about using archival footage from the original film to bring him into the short.
“We tried to take them on the journey with us to say, ‘We’ve got this very special short that we’re doing. Robin as the genie means so much to so many people and we would really love to involve him,” said Simonsen. “So [director Dan Abraham] listened to the outtakes from the original recording and he found those little bites that we could use. We went back to the estate and said, ‘This is what we hope to do.’ [Artist Eric Goldberg], who originally animated the genie is on the show, and he’s going to be part of it.’ And it was wonderful to see that happen.”
The result sees Williams’ role as Genie return for a brief moment amongst a litany of other Disney characters. His portrayal of the character in the 1992 film is still beloved by fans today, and those looking to see a little bit more can watch the short film now on Disney+.
What is Once Upon a Studio about?
“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,” reads the short’s description. “Featuring 543 Disney characters from more than 85 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 was directed by Dan Abraham and Trent Correy and produced by Yvett Merino and Bradford Simonsen.
