Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper marked the first animated Barbie film to be a musical, as it featured multiple songs sung by the characters. Mattel's Barbie doll is one of the world's most popular toys, and before the live-action Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie was developed, a series of animated Barbie movies was released throughout the 2000s with Kelly Sheridan voicing almost all of the characters portrayed by Barbie (though she didn't sing the musical's songs). Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper is an adaptation of Mark Twain's novel The Prince and the Pauper, and it features characters in Mattel's Barbie universe.

While the animated movies are geared towards children, Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper received positive reviews by adult critics, and renowned comedic actor Martin Short joined the cast as Preminger, the movie's villain. As the first musical in the animated Barbie series,...