The movie Anastasia was made by 20th Century Studios, Inc., or as they were known at the time 20th Century Fox. However, in March of 2019, Disney bought the company, making Anastasia a disney-owned character.
While her title is technically Grand Duchess rather than Princess, she is still Disney royalty. Among animated royalty at the time, Anastasia is unique because although the film came out in 1997; her story is built around her growth and self-discovery with romance coming second.
The movie itself follows a girl named Anya as she journeys through Europe to find her family who she learns could be the Romanovs, the royal family of Russia. Unfortunately, all of the Romanov family except for the Dowager Empress of Russia were killed years ago in an attempt by the story’s villain to end the royal line.
She thinks that she may be the Grand Duchess Anastasia, who is believed to have escaped. The viewer watches as Anya tries to find the Dowager Empress, who would be Anastasia’s grandmother; then see if they can confirm that they really are family.
This film actually has roots in real life, but the true story is much different. Anastasia’s father was the last Tsar of Russia, and although he had already abdicated the throne in 1917 during the Russian Revolution; the Romanov family were still seen as dangerous.
In July of 1918, when Anastasia was just 17, her immediate family was murdered. To end the Romanov line, no lives were spared, not even that of the young Grand Duchess Anastasia or her siblings. Like in the movie, her grandma did escape and survive, but she never saw her granddaughter again.
Many rumors were spread about her survival due to women claiming to be her, and a lack of her remains. All of these claims have now been proven false, and it can be concluded that the women claiming to be her were after the family’s remaining fortune. In addition, when the Soviet Union collapsed, it was revealed that her remains were located back in 1976.
Knowing the story behind this movie only makes it that much more alluring. One can’t help but look at the grown Grand Duchess on the screen and think about who she could have been in real life if she had been given the opportunity to grow.
Historical information was pulled from britannica.com, and the information about Disney buying 20th Century Studios, Inc. was gathered from thewaltdisneycompany.com.
