The Black Cauldron (movie)

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The Black Cauldron
Directed byTed Berman
Richard Rich
Story byArt Stevens
Peter Young
Roy Morita
Al Wilson
David Jonas
Vance Gerry
Ted Berman
Richard Rich
Joe Hale
Based onThe Chronicles of Prydain
by Lloyd Alexander
Produced byJoe Hale
Ron Miller
StarringGrant Bardsley
Susan Sheridan
Nigel Hawthorne
John Byner
John Hurt
Narrated byJohn Huston
Edited byArmetta Jackson
James Koford
James Melton
Music byElmer Bernstein
Production
companies
Distributed byWalt Disney Pictures
Buena Vista Distribution
Release date
  • July 24, 1985 (1985-07-24)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million[1]
Box office$21,288,692[2]

The Black Cauldron is a 1985 American animated fantasy movie produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. It is based on the first two books in The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, a series of five novels which in turn is based on Welsh mythology.

The movie is directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich. They directed the previous Disney animated movie The Fox and the Hound.

Reception[change | change source]

It was not very popular when it was first released. Now it has become a cult movie. It cost $25 million to make. It earned only $21 million at the North American box office. It is said to be one of the worst box-office failures from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Story[change | change source]

In the land of Prydain, Dallben the Enchanter 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 the teenage boy, Taran 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 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 three witches. 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 of zombie 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.

Cast[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. Magical Kingdoms
  2. "The Black Cauldron (1985)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 23, 2010.