Disney Builds Princess World by Hand in Alex Prager-Directed Short Film

Kicking off Disney’s annual World Princess Week celebrations is a short film following two girls who, from their neighbouring apartments across the street, allow their imaginations to wander.

A handwritten note delivered by a folded paper bird holds an invitation to ‘play princesses together’ once more. From here, friendship unfolds.

Magic carpets are ridden, bites are taken of candy floss clouds, and mermaids dive into water. Throughout, we witness every normal thing’s ability to transform. Despite the otherworldliness of the scenes, the film is conspicuously physical.

Years later, viewers see the two friends passing the same stories on to their own daughters.

It is here that the film’s title ‘Once a Princess, Always a Princess’ comes into focus. The few words scribbled onto the paper bird are at the heart of this year’s World Princess Week, looking at the ways these stories can stay with us, being shared one day with the next generation.

Created with Fallon and Publicis Production and directed by Arts & Sciences’ Alex Prager, much of the spot’s world was built by hand, a fitting way to honour a story about imagination and creativity.

Handcrafted ‘bigature’ castles, custom puppets and hand-painted matte backdrops were used alongside practical effects, while a 56-piece live orchestra performed the film’s score.

The floating carpet and underwater sequences were also among the effects using practical techniques and physical craft.

“I grew up with the Disney Princesses and their colourful, weightless worlds, full of beauty and drama, adventure, friendship, and true love,” says Alex. “One of the things that drew me to making the Disney Princess film is at its heart, it’s about relationships and human connection.”

She believes the film highlights how Disney stories give kids a shared language through which they can “connect, play, and imagine together".

And indeed, the idea of imagination as something shared permeates the whole production. The ‘bigature’ castles were inspired by ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Little Mermaid', while the custom puppets were created to represent a number of Disney characters.

The film has been released on Disney+ as well as YouTube and has been positioned as the emotional focal point of this year’s festivities. The senior vice president of brand management at The Walt Disney Company, Joanna Balikian, says, "The enduring strength of Disney Princesses lies in its ability to evolve with each new generation while remaining rooted in stories that inspire courage, compassion, and possibility."

She adds, “That's what makes these characters so meaningful to fans around the world. This year's World Princess Week celebrates this legacy.”

The short is one part of what has become a fairly sprawling week for the franchise. ‘Disney Princess: The Ultimate Concert Celebration’ at Disney California Adventure Park last week brought together the largest collection of Disney Princess talent ever assembled.

Brandy, Paige O’Hara, Jodi Benson, Halle Bailey, Auli’i Cravalho, Lea Salonga and Anika Noni Rose were among those performing, uniting voices and performers from Disney animation, live-action films and the stage. For those who missed it, the concert is now also streaming across Disney+ and YouTube.

Elsewhere on Disney+, new episodes of ‘Sofia the First: Royal Magic’ are landing during the week, while ‘LEGO Disney Princess: Magical Mayhem’ debuts on August 21st, bringing Ariel, Jasmine, Mulan, Moana, Rapunzel, Snow White and Tiana all together for a new animated story.

Beyond the streaming world, Disney and Make-A-Wish will also grant Disney Princess wishes around the world, accompanied by a new miniseries looking at families’ relationships with the stories. Disney says it has granted thousands of Princess-themed wishes through the organisation.

With plenty more happening socially across TikTok, there is also an immersive Disney Princess Experience in development, as well as new products extending the celebrations.

It’s certainly a busy week, but with a film strong enough and a message simple enough to anchor us in the idea that the stories we love as children do not necessarily disappear when childhood does.