This 1997 animated classic is still beloved decades later, but many fans wonder how much of the story is based on truth. Below you’ll find answers to the most common questions about the film, its cast, and the real Romanovs.
Quick links:
- 1. Is Anastasia a Disney movie?
- 2. Was Anastasia a real person?
- 3. Did Anastasia actually survive?
- 4. Is the movie based on a true story?
- 5. Who was Rasputin, and is his portrayal accurate?
- 6. Was Dimitri a real person?
- 7. Did Anastasia’s grandmother survive?
- 8. Why did people believe Anastasia survived?
- 9. Is Anastasia historically accurate?
- 10. What happened to the Romanov family?
- 11. Who voiced the characters?
- 12. Did Meg Ryan sing in the film?
- 13. Was it directed by Don Bluth?
- 14. Where can I watch Anastasia?
- 16. Why wasn’t Anastasia really a princess?
- 15. Who produced Anastasia?
- 17. Did Anastasia really lose her memory?
1. Is Anastasia a Disney movie?
No — Anastasia was produced by 20th Century Fox in 1997. After Disney acquired Fox in 2019, the film became available on Disney+, but it was never part of the official Disney Princess lineup.
2. Was Anastasia a real person?
Yes. Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. She was a real historical figure born in 1901.
3. Did Anastasia actually survive the execution of the Romanovs?
No. All members of the immediate Romanov family, including Anastasia, were executed in 1918. For decades, myths persisted, but modern DNA testing confirmed her death in 2007.
4. Is the movie Anastasia based on a true story?
Very loosely. While it draws inspiration from the myth that Anastasia survived, the film’s storyline — including her memory loss, Rasputin’s curse, and Dimitri’s help — is fictional.
5. Who was Rasputin, and is his portrayal in the film accurate?
Grigori Rasputin was a real mystic who had influence over the Russian royal family. However, he didn’t have magical powers and wasn’t responsible for the Romanovs’ downfall — the film’s version of him is entirely fictional.
6. Was Dimitri a real person?
No. Dimitri is a made-up character. There is no historical record of a palace servant helping Anastasia escape — sadly, no one from the family or their loyal staff survived.
7. Did Anastasia’s grandmother really survive the revolution?
Yes. The real Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, Anastasia’s grandmother, escaped Russia and lived in Denmark. She refused to believe her family had been killed and never accepted Anastasia’s death.
8. Why did people believe Anastasia might have survived?
Because two bodies were missing from the Romanov grave for decades, and multiple women — especially Anna Anderson — claimed to be her. The mystery wasn’t fully resolved until DNA testing confirmed her death.
9. Is Anastasia historically accurate?
Not really. The film borrows names and a general setting from history but rewrites key facts to create a romantic fairytale. It leaves out the causes of the revolution, the family’s real fate, and the political context.
10. What happened to the Romanov family in real life?
They were executed by Bolshevik soldiers in July 1918 during the Russian Revolution. Their remains were buried in secret and later discovered and identified through DNA testing in the 1990s and early 2000s.
11. Who voiced the characters in Anastasia (1997)?
The film featured a star-studded voice cast:
- Meg Ryan as Anastasia/Anya (speaking)
- Liz Callaway as Anastasia/Anya (singing)
- John Cusack as Dimitri
- Kelsey Grammer as Vladimir
- Christopher Lloyd as Rasputin (speaking)
- Jim Cummings as Rasputin (singing)
- Angela Lansbury as the Dowager Empress Marie
- Bernadette Peters as Sophie
- Hank Azaria as Bartok the bat
12. Did Meg Ryan sing in Anastasia?
No — Meg Ryan provided the speaking voice for Anastasia, but the singing was performed by Liz Callaway, a Broadway performer. This pairing was common in animated films to blend acting and vocal talents.
13. Was Anastasia directed by Don Bluth?
Yes — Anastasia was co-directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. Bluth was a former Disney animator known for darker, emotionally rich animated films like The Secret of NIMH, The Land Before Time, and An American Tail.
14. Where can I watch Anastasia (1997)?
Anastasia is available to stream on Disney+ in many regions. It can also be rented or purchased on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube Movies. Availability may vary by location.
15. Who produced Anastasia (1997)?
The film was produced by Fox Animation Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was Fox’s attempt to rival Disney’s animated features in the 1990s and became one of their most successful efforts.
16. Why wasn’t Anastasia really a princess?
Although she’s often called a princess, Anastasia was actually a Grand Duchess, not a princess by title. In the Russian imperial system, the daughters of the tsar were given the title “Grand Duchess” (Velikaya Knyazhna), which ranked higher than a typical European princess. The film uses “princess” to appeal to Western audiences, but historically, it’s not the correct term.
17. Did Anastasia lose her memory in real life?
No — there’s no historical evidence that the real Grand Duchess Anastasia survived the execution of the Romanov family, so she never lived to experience memory loss.
The 1997 animated film introduces the idea that Anastasia suffered from amnesia and forgot her royal identity, which is a fictional element designed to add mystery and emotional weight to the story. However, this idea was likely inspired by Anna Anderson, a woman who famously claimed to be Anastasia after surviving a suicide attempt. Anderson’s story gained widespread attention and fooled many for decades, despite being proven false through DNA testing in the 1990s.
Want more hidden history behind beloved animated classics?
If you enjoyed exploring the real story behind Anastasia, you might also love my post on the real history behind the Romanovs — a deep dive into what the movie got right, what it changed, and the heartbreaking truth behind the legend.
