How Disney Revived ‘Aladdin’s Genie For 100th Birthday Without AI Resuscitation
Illustration 25350562 © Fernando Gregory | Dreamstime.com
Disney is celebrating 100 years of magic with a reunion of beloved characters—hand-drawn and CG—all on the same screen in a short film called Once Upon a Studio.
The homage, which combines animated and live-action techniques, gathers 40 voice actors from Disney classics and an incredible 543 characters, among which was the late Robin Williams’ Genie.
In interviews with Polygon and The Direct, Walt Disney Animation Studios producers revealed how they let Williams out of the lamp to reprise his role from Aladdin.
Although artificial intelligence has become a widely available tool to resurrect deceased celebrities—be it in appearance or voice—these days, Disney opted to use existing clips that Williams had recorded. The lines uttered in Once Upon a Studio, producer Yvett Merino explained to Polygon, were exact outtakes that never made it in Aladdin but “[fit] so well” in the Genie’s scenes in the anniversary short, which sees characters old and new come together to take a group photo.
Eric Goldberg, the original animator of the Genie, was also brought back to head animation for the film and revived the character himself.
Robin Williams’ voice for the Genie appears in Disney’s "Once Upon A Studio" short by the team going back & taking voice bits from outtakes of Williams’ original recordings from Aladdin.
— Av  (@MarioEmmet) October 16, 2023
They got permission from his estate.#Disney100 pic.twitter.com/HJZKQ8RaYY
Importantly, the studio got the blessing of Williams’ estate to authentically include the Genie, an integral character in Disney’s history, in the tribute. Producer Brad Simonsen told The Direct that the actor’s representatives were shown early storyboards and outtakes from Williams’ recordings that the team had planned to use in Once Upon a Studio.
Simonsen said Genie’s scenes were “really a collaboration” with Williams’ estate, and that the team had ensured everyone was “on the journey together” right from the start.
Seeing the Genie on Once Upon A Studio 🥹🥹 #Disney100 pic.twitter.com/MkFPJGqPYh
— Jennifer (@Paper_Heart_Jen) October 16, 2023
For now, Disney’s animation team is putting its foot down against the use of AI, Simonson told Polygon. He added that artists were prohibited from “[using] AI in the building.”
An AI ban isn’t a companywide practice, however. Earlier this year, Disney and Marvel Studios were chastised by audiences for using generative AI to create the entire opening sequence for Disney+’s Secret Invasion. Most recently, they were lambasted for seemingly licensing AI-created artwork for the poster of Loki season two.
Following its ABC premiere on October 15, Once Upon a Studio heads to Disney+ on October 16.
[via Polygon, CBR, The Direct, images via various sources]
