Walt Disney's animated film "The Black Cauldron," released in 1985, is based on the first two books of Lloyd Alexander's fantasy series, "The Chronicles of Prydain." The story follows a young pig-keeper named Taran who embarks on a quest to prevent an evil warlord, The Horned King, from using a magical cauldron to raise an army of the undead. The film features a mix of traditional animation and dark themes, which was a departure from Disney's earlier works. Despite its innovative approach, "The Black Cauldron" received mixed reviews and was not a commercial success, leading to a reevaluation of Disney's animation style in subsequent films.