| The Black Cauldron | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ted Berman Richard Rich |
| Story by | Art Stevens Peter Young Roy Morita Al Wilson David Jonas Vance Gerry Ted Berman Richard Rich Joe Hale |
| Based on | The Chronicles of Prydain byLloyd Alexander |
| Produced by | Joe Hale Ron Miller |
| Starring | Grant Bardsley Susan Sheridan Nigel Hawthorne John Byner John Hurt |
| Narrated by | John Huston |
| Edited by | Armetta Jackson James Koford James Melton |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Pictures Buena Vista Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million[1] |
| Box office | $21,288,692[2] |
The Black Cauldron is a 1985 Americananimated darkfantasy movie produced byWalt Disney Productions. It is based on the first two books inThe Chronicles of Prydain byLloyd Alexander, a series of five novels which in turn is based onWelsh mythology.
The Black Cauldron was the first Disney animated movie to be ratedPG. It was the first Disney animated movie released under the Walt Disney Pictures name. The Black Cauldron was the last Disney animated movie produced by Walt Disney Productions. Following the Disney split, Walt Disney Productions was succeeded by Walt Disney Feature Animation.
The movie is directed byTed Berman andRichard Rich. They directed the previous Disney animated movieThe Fox and the Hound.
It was not very popular when it was first released. Now it has become acult movie. It cost $25 million to make. It earned only $21 million at the North Americanbox office. It is said to be one of the worst box-office failures fromWalt Disney Animation Studios.
In the land ofPrydain, an old enchanter named Dallben thinks that the Horned King wants his pig, Hen Wen, who has oracular powers, to locate the Black Cauldron, which has evil powers. He tells Taran, a farm boy, to take Hen Wen to safety but the pig is captured by dragons.
Taran follows them to the Horned King's castle and meets a dog-gibbon hybrid creature named Gurgi, who wants to be his friend. Taran helps Hen Wen escape but is captured and thrown into the dungeon. He meets Princess Eilonwy and she frees him. Along with a third prisoner, the elderly Fflewddur Fflam, they escape and are found by Gurgi.
Following Hen Wen's trail, the group stumbles into the underground kingdom of the Fair Folk, who have Hen Wen under their protection. They learn the cauldron is held by threewitches. The witches give them the cauldron and take the magic sword. The witches reveal the cauldron can only be destroyed when someone willingly climbs into it, which will kill them.
Taran, Eilonwy and Fflewddur are captured by the Horned King's minions. The Horned King uses the cauldron to raise an army ofskeleton warriors. Gurgi jumps into the Cauldron. This kills Gurgi but also kills the undead warriors. The Cauldron's magical powers kill the Horned King. The three witches come to take back the Black Cauldron and they bring Gurgi back to life.
