The Film That Almost Killed Disney Animation: The Black Cauldron
The Black Cauldron (Disney, July 1985)
The Black Cauldron, an animated feature from Disney, was released on July 24th in 1985. It was one of a number of films I consulted on for the studio. At the time, it was purported to be the most expensive animated film ever made (though cheap by today’s standards). It had quite a turbulent history and almost killed off Disney animation entirely.
The film is based on two volumes of Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain series, a five-volume series of fantasy novels, aimed at the YA audience. Personally, I love these books. The story goes that Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of Disney’s “Nine Old Men,” recommended the books to Walt to adapt. Disney Studios acquired the rights back in 1971 and began adapting.