Disney's 1985 Animated Film THE BLACK CAULDRON is Reportedly Getting The Live-Action Treatment
According to a recent report from entertainment scooper Daniel RPK, Disney Studio is now developing a live-action remake of its 1985 animated fantasy film The Black Cauldron.
Back in 2016, Disney re-acquired the rights to The Chronicles of Prydain, which is a five-part novel series written by Lloyd Alexander and it’s this series that inspired the original animated feature. The first two books of the series were a big inspiration for the film, but it wasn’t an adaptation. The book series and the film are very different.
At the time it was one of the most expensive animated films ever made, and it was a failure at the box office. Former Disney studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg criticized the movie, saying the dark animated film lacked the "humor, pathos, and the fantasy" strongly present in Alexander's works. He called the story a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and admitted it was “heartbreaking" seeing "such wonderful material wasted."
I know the development of that film was a hellish experience for those who worked on it and it was plagued with production problems, but when I saw that movie as a kid, I loved it! I still enjoy watching that film! I loved the dark and gritty tone that it had. It was very different from any of the other animated films that were being made by Disney.
The story is set in the land of Prydain, and it follows lowly pig herder Taran who dreams of becoming a gallant knight. “Young Taran receives his heroic calling when the evil Horned King kidnaps Hen-Wren, a prophesying pig that had been entrusted to Taran. Now, with help from his furry sidekick Gurgi and Princess Eilonwy, Taran must locate the magical black cauldron before the Horned King is able to use its mystical powers to summon an army of the undead.”
If this news ends up being true, I’d totally watch a live-action version of The Black Cauldron. Who knows, maybe this time around they will make a film that is a closer adaptation to the books.
What do you think about The Black Cauldron getting a live-action remake?