Disney rumour: a new Live Action “Black Cauldron”

[Tonguez]

Theres a new unconfirmed rumour about that Disney is looking to do a new Live Action version of The Black Cauldron.
Apparently Disney werent satisfied with the old animated version and in 2016 re-acquired the rights to The Chronicles of Prydain (by Lloyd Alexander) and will be adapting all five novels rather than just the first two as the animated version did.

I really enjoyed the novels which are different and better to the animated movie, so am excited about this. What do you all think?

Disney Developing Live Action Version of 'The Black Cauldron' - Inside the Magic

Disney is adding yet another film to the list of developing live action movies as the company is working on a live action The Black Cauldron.

insidethemagic.net

 

[Gradine]

The Chronicles of Prydain were my gateway into fantasy books. Hell yeah I'm excited if this turns out to be true

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Let’s say...I view this news with guarded optimism.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I hope this is true. Of children's fantasy, the Prydain books seem to me to be well-suited to live action.
I'd certainly look forward to seeing this... whatever it turns out to be.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I read the series soooooooooooooooo long ago that all I can remember is that I liked them.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Two things about this;

1. Loved the animated movie. It is really freaky for a kid to watch, I mean the Horned King easily outstrips any other animated one in how scary he is.

2. Seriously doubt this is actually true. People don't know this, but the animated Black Cauldron almost bankrupted Disney, and the movie is known as "The film that almost killed Disney." I highly doubt anyone wants to revisit a property that nearly destroyed them.

Wikipedia section below;

The Black Cauldron was released in North America on July 26, 1985.[3] The film was also screened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.[32] While officially budgeted by Disney executives at $25 million,[10] the film's production manager, Don Hahn,[10] said in his documentary, Waking Sleeping Beauty, that it cost $44 million to produce the film.[5][6] The $44-million budget made it the most expensive animated film ever made at the time.[7] The film grossed $21.3 million domestically.[3] It resulted in a loss for Walt Disney Studios and put the future of the animation department in jeopardy (earning it the nickname "the film that almost killed Disney").[7] It was so poorly received that it was not distributed as a home video release for more than a decade after its theatrical run.[19] Adding insult to injury, the film was also beaten at the box office by The Care Bears Movie ($22.9 million domestically), which was released several months earlier by Disney's much-smaller rival animation studio in Canada Nelvana.[33] The film was however more successful outside North America notably in France where it had 3,074,481 admissions and was the fifth most attended film of the year.[34]

The film was the last Disney animated film to be completed at the original Animation Building of the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.[35] The animation department was moved to the Air Way facility in nearby Glendale in December 1984, and, following corporate restructuring, eventually returned to the Burbank studio in the mid-1990s at a new facility.[33]

 

[Tonguez]

Seriously doubt this is actually true. People don't know this, but the animated Black Cauldron almost bankrupted Disney, and the movie is known as "The film that almost killed Disney." I highly doubt anyone wants to revisit a property that nearly destroyed them.

To be fair, that was 35 years ago - an entire generation - and technology and film marketing have changed from then. Also the fact that Disney re-acquired the rights just 4 years ago seems to indicate that they see some value in the property.

 

[Parmandur]

Two things about this;

1. Loved the animated movie. It is really freaky for a kid to watch, I mean the Horned King easily outstrips any other animated one in how scary he is.

View attachment 122582

2. Seriously doubt this is actually true. People don't know this, but the animated Black Cauldron almost bankrupted Disney, and the movie is known as "The film that almost killed Disney." I highly doubt anyone wants to revisit a property that nearly destroyed them.

Wikipedia section below;

The Black Cauldron was released in North America on July 26, 1985.[3] The film was also screened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.[32] While officially budgeted by Disney executives at $25 million,[10] the film's production manager, Don Hahn,[10] said in his documentary, Waking Sleeping Beauty, that it cost $44 million to produce the film.[5][6] The $44-million budget made it the most expensive animated film ever made at the time.[7] The film grossed $21.3 million domestically.[3] It resulted in a loss for Walt Disney Studios and put the future of the animation department in jeopardy (earning it the nickname "the film that almost killed Disney").[7] It was so poorly received that it was not distributed as a home video release for more than a decade after its theatrical run.[19] Adding insult to injury, the film was also beaten at the box office by The Care Bears Movie ($22.9 million domestically), which was released several months earlier by Disney's much-smaller rival animation studio in Canada Nelvana.[33] The film was however more successful outside North America notably in France where it had 3,074,481 admissions and was the fifth most attended film of the year.[34]

The film was the last Disney animated film to be completed at the original Animation Building of the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.[35] The animation department was moved to the Air Way facility in nearby Glendale in December 1984, and, following corporate restructuring, eventually returned to the Burbank studio in the mid-1990s at a new facility.[33]

It is true that they paid for the option to do it...time will tell if that goes anywhere.

The series is very popular and well known, for the book and not the movie, which would probably be forgotten if not for Disney keeping it alive in places like Disney+.

 

[cbwjm]

TIL the black cauldron was adapted from a book. I've only ever seen/heard of the movie.

 

[Parmandur]

TIL the black cauldron was adapted from a book. I've only ever seen/heard of the movie.

The books are fantastic. The movie is probably better if you haven't read the books, because it is a, uh, loose adaptation.