The Princess and the Goblin (film)

Infobox Film
name = The Princess and the Goblin
director = József Gémes
producer = Robin Lyons
writer = Original 1872 novel:
George MacDonald
Screenplay:
Robin Lyons
starring = Joss Ackland
Claire Bloom
Roy Kinnear
Sally Ann Marsh
Victor Spinetti
Peggy Mount
Robert Lyons
music = István Lerch
editing = Magda Hap
distributor = Hemdale Film Corporation (USA)
Entertainment Film Distributors (UK) [http://www.variety.com/profiles/Film/main/126565/ "The Princess and the Goblin"] at Variety.com.]
Budapest Film (Hungary)
released = United Kingdom:
start date|1992|12|18
United States:
start date|1994|6|3
runtime = 82 min.
country = United Kingdom
Hungary
Japan
language = English
budget = US$10 millionBeck (2005), p. 213-4.]
amg_id = 1:39212
imdb_id = 0107875

"The Princess and the Goblin" ( _hu. A Hercegnö és a kobold) is a 1992 animated adaptation of George MacDonald's 1872 book of the same name. It was the first animated feature from Wales, and the 25th full-length cartoon from Hungary. [Lendvai, Erzsi, n.d. [http://www.filmkultura.iif.hu:8080/articles/essays/anim.textonly.en.html Animated cartoons in Hungary] . Filmkultura.] The film was produced by the Welsh television station S4C, and the Cardiff-based Siriol studio, [ [http://www.toonhound.com/goblin.htm "The Princess and the Goblin"] at Toonhound.] along with Hungary's Pannonia and Japan's NHK.

Costing $10 million, the film teamed producer/screenwriter Robert Lyons with director József Gémes (from 1982's "Heroic Times"). Most of the principal animation was produced at the Siriol facilities. [http://www.tvguide.com/movies/princess-goblin/review/129957 Review of "The Princess and the Goblin"] at TV Guide site.]

Originally released in 1992 and 1993 across Europe, "The Princess and the Goblin" was picked up for North American release by Hemdale Releasing for a summer release in 1994. The film was a critical and commercial disappointment there, only grossing US$2.1 million from 795 venues. [mojo title|id=princessandthegoblin|title=The Princess and the Goblin.]

In a desperate attempt to counter its bad reviews, Hemdale asked several movie critics to view the film with their children, and asked those children for their comments on the film; these were subsequently included in its newspaper promotion. Mentioned in the advertisements were Michael Medved's daughter, Sarah, and Bob Campbell's four-year-old daughter ("It gets 91 stars!"). The idea came from Hemdale executives who thought animated films from the Disney company were preferred over those from other studios.

"The Princess and the Goblin" received a Seal of Approval from the Dove Foundation, and the Film Advisory Board's Award of Excellence. Moreover, it won the Best Children's Film Award at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.

Hemdale Home Video premiered the movie on VHS some time after its theatrical outing. It was released on DVD in 2003 by Allumination FilmWorks.

ee also

*List of animated feature-length films

References

(All retrieved February 15, 2008, unless otherwise noted.)