The Black Cauldron (film)

The Black Cauldron
Theatrical release poster by Paul Wenzel
Directed by	Ted Berman Richard Rich
Story by	Ted Berman Vance Gerry Joe Hale David Jonas Roy Morita Richard Rich Art Stevens Al Wilson Peter Young
Based on	The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
Produced by	Joe Hale
Starring	Grant Bardsley Susan Sheridan Freddie Jones Nigel Hawthorne Arthur Malet John Byner Lindsay Rich Brandon Call Gregory Levinson Eda Reiss Merin Adele Maus-Morey Billie Hayes Phil Fondacaro Peter Renaday James Almanzar Wayne Allwine Steve Hale Phil Nibbelink Jack Laing John Hurt
Narrated by	John Huston
Edited by	James Melton Jim Koford Armetta Jackson
Music by	Elmer Bernstein
Production companies	Walt Disney Pictures[1] Walt Disney Productions[2] Silver Screen Partners II[1]
Distributed by	Buena Vista Distribution[1]
Release date	July 24, 1985 (1985-07-24)[3]
Running time	80 minutes[4]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$44 million[5][6]
Box office	$21.3 million[3]

The Black Cauldron is a 1985 American animated dark fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions in association with Silver Screen Partners II and released by Walt Disney Pictures.^[1] It is loosely based on the first two books in The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, a series of five novels that are in turn based on Welsh mythology.

Set in the mythical land of Prydain during the Early Middle Ages, the film centers on a wicked emperor known as the Horned King, who hopes to secure an ancient magical cauldron that will aid him in his desire to conquer the world. He is opposed by young swineherder Taran, the young Princess Eilonwy, the harp-playing bard Fflewddur Fflam, and a friendly wild creature named Gurgi, who seek to destroy the cauldron to prevent the Horned King from ruling the world.

The film is directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich, who had directed Disney's previous animated film The Fox and the Hound (1981), and was the first Disney animated film to be recorded in Dolby Stereo. Disney acquired the film rights to the books in 1973 with production beginning in 1980 to be set for a Christmas 1984 release. During production, it had a severe editing process, particularly for its climactic sequence, which proved to be disturbing to children during a test screening. The newly appointed Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg ordered those scenes to be cut, fearing that it would alienate children, and as a result, it was delayed to 1985. It features the ensemble voice cast of Grant Bardsley, Susan Sheridan, Freddie Jones, Nigel Hawthorne, Arthur Malet, John Byner, Lindsay Rich, Brandon Call, Gregory Levinson, Eda Reiss Merin, Adele Maus-Morey, Billie Hayes, Phil Fondacaro, Peter Renaday, James Almanzar, Wayne Allwine, Steve Hale, Phil Nibbelink, Jack Laing, and John Hurt, with John Huston serving as the narrator for the prologue.

It was the first Disney animated film to receive a PG rating, as well as the first Disney animated film to feature computer-generated imagery.^[7] The Black Cauldron was distributed theatrically through Buena Vista Distribution on July 24, 1985. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Being the most expensive animated film ever made at the time, it was a box-office bomb, grossing just $21.3 million against a budget of $44 million, putting the future of Disney's animation department in jeopardy. Because of its commercial failure, Disney did not release the film on home media until 1998. It has since gained a cult following.^[8][9]