Cauldron-Born

The Black Cauldron is a 1985 American animated fantasy adventure film loosely based on the first two books in The Chronicles of Prydain series of novels, and directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich. Produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, it stars Grant Bardsley, Susan Sheridan, Freddie Jones, Nigel Hawthorne, Arthur Malet, John Byner, Phil Fondacaro, and John Hurt, with John Huston serving as the narrator for the prologue.

Disney acquired the film rights to the books in 1973, with production beginning in 1980. It was originally scheduled to be released at Christmas 1984, but several scenes, particularly in the film's climax, were found to be disturbing to children during a test screening. The newly appointed Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg ordered the scenes to be cut, which caused its release to be delayed to 1985. 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.

The Black Cauldron was released by Buena Vista Pictures 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 million against a budget of $44 million and 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.

In the land of Prydain, Taran, a teenage "assistant pig-keeper" on the farm of Caer Dallben, home of Dallben the Enchanter, dreams of becoming a famous warrior. Dallben learns from the oracular powers of his pig Hen Wen that the evil Horned King is searching for the Black Cauldron, a mystical relic that can create an invincible army of undead warriors known as the Cauldron-Born. Dallben fears the Horned King might use Hen Wen to locate the cauldron, and directs Taran to take the pig to safety, but she is captured by Gwythaints, the Horned King's wyvern-like creatures.