Josh Gad Defends Disney Using Robin Williams’ Voice in New Short

The internet is buzzing with debate over Disney's new 100th-anniversary short film, Once Upon a Studio, which was revealed at the Annecy Film Festival and is set to air before the film Wish coming out this fall.

The short, which will be a mix of live-action, 2D hand-drawn animation, and 3D CGI animation, will feature over 400 different Disney characters, including Genie from Aladdin, one of Robin Williams' most famous characters.

Actor Josh Gad, who voices Olaf from the Frozen series, shared more info about the film, including that they will be using unreleased voice audio from the late actor for the short.

This led some people to speak out and criticize Disney for this decision, as Williams put a stipulation in his will saying that he didn't want his image or likeness to be used in films or advertisements for 25 years after his death, as The Guardian reported in 2015.

For example, one person wrote on Twitter, "Really excited for this #Disney100 short — but SO confused at Disney continually releasing 'unheard audio' / outtakes etc. from Robin Williams’ Genie performance despite his wishes that nothing of the kind was to be released. Feels especially distasteful after this death."

Gad saw this, replying to the post to explain that Disney had permission from Williams' estate, before heading to Instagram to clear up any confusion and reach a larger audience.

He shared a still from the short above a photo of himself and Williams, writing, "It’s important to not jump to conclusions before knowing all the facts. Me getting to act alongside my idol posthumously, using previously unheard dialogue, would NEVER EVER happen without the consent of his estate. My love for Robin Williams is literally unmatched and I would never do anything unless I was guaranteed that it was with all of the proper sign-off and support."

"What Disney animation has done with the INCREDIBLE short #OnceUponATimeInAStudio is not only a love letter to my creative hero (and the reason I wanted to play Olaf in the first place), but to a 100 year legacy that is truly unmatched. Please, just enjoy the nice things! 😉," he concluded.

Fans in the Instagram comments shared their love for Williams, with many stating that they think the late actor would definitely approve of the project.

Once Upon a Studio will play ahead of the upcoming movie Wish, which has a release date of Nov. 22.