Movies - TV
Disney’s The Black Cauldron Could Have Been An Early Tim Burton Film
By RAFAEL MOTAMAYOR
In the ‘70s, Disney was in a mini-crisis following Walt Disney's death and animator Don Bluth's departure. The studio then experimented with some unconventional movie releases.
One such movie was the underrated "The Black Cauldron.” It was perhaps the darkest Disney film ever made and Tim Burton's first collaboration with the studio.
The film follows a bard and a princess who try to destroy a powerful and ancient magical cauldron before the wicked Horned King uses it to rule the world.
Wanting to showcase Disney's new animators like John Lasseter, Brad Bird, and John Musker, the studio later consulted Michael Peraza, who collaborated with Tim Burton.
Peraza shared insight into the movie's development on his blog, writing about his and Burton's work in doing early concept art for the film.
He detailed Burton's brilliance, stating, “Tim's work was fresh and resembled what could best be described as 'Beetlejuice' meets 'Nightmare Before Christmas.’”
Burton and Peraza’s stay was brief, but he gratefully explains, “But to [producer] Joe Hale's everlasting credit, at least he was open to new approaches and gave us both a shot.”