Anastasia: Once Upon a Time

In 1917, thirteen-year-old Anastasia Nikolaevna, a Russian Grand Duchess, escapes through a portal created by her family’s old friend, Grigori Rasputin, when his country faces a threat from the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin. Anastasia finds herself transported to the United States seventy years later, in 1989, landing in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Yet she remains unaware that an enchantress, Yara, is scheming with Lenin. Yara has hypnotized Rasputin, sending him through another portal to capture her.

Anastasia is befriended by Megan, a thirteen-year-old girl who has recently moved and feels lonely with no friends. Despite Anastasia’s initially fragmentary grasp of English, she introduces herself to Megan as “Annie,” aided by an amulet Rasputin gave her that glows in the presence of someone she can trust. As Anastasia’s language skills grow, Megan helps her settle in by finding a place to stay in a currently-vacant house near Megan’s own, and the two even charm a pop star performing at a nearby mall who helps buy Anastasia modern clothes.

Over time, Anastasia shares the truth about herself with Megan after discovering a book about the Romanov family, though she is unsettled by the notion that they may be dead. To lift her spirits, Megan gives her one of a pair of “best friend” bracelets she had bought long ago, a symbol of companionship she never had before.

The two girls attend a haunted house Halloween party, but Anastasia is captured by Rasputin when they are separated. Megan’s school bullies initially convince her that Annie left the party on her own; however, when she sees a live local news report of a traffic accident, she spots Annie and Rasputin in the background and realizes what happened. Resolving to act, Megan tracks them to the park where they first met and uses her distraction to give Anastasia the chance to open a new portal, sending her back a few moments before her original journey into the future and enabling her family to flee Lenin’s forces, with Rasputin staying behind to buy them time.

Back in 1989, Megan faces disappointment at the loss of her friend, but when her mother encourages her to introduce herself to the new neighbors, she is overjoyed to discover that the elderly grandmother of the new family next door is Anastasia herself, now an octogenarian. Anastasia invites Megan inside to hear everything that has happened since their last meeting.

Last Updated: October 14, 2025 at 04:08