The Black Cauldron

A little known Disney film from 1985, The Black Cauldron deserves more attention that it has been given. This one has it all: an ancient legend, an evil ruler, dashing heroes, fairy characters, dark and light magic, undead warriors, and a magical pig. The fantasy world is rich with possibilities, and very different from anything else that Disney had produced. What’s more, because the film is so little known, a new live action adaptation would not face the dangers of overdoing it like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. You don’t have to give this one a reinterpretation or a new angle on an old story: just go back to the film and the original novels by Lloyd Alexander, and you’ve got a brand new epic on your hands.