The Little Cobbler That Could: A Collaborative Timeline

1900s

1993: The Thief and the Cobbler, an epic animated film by Warner Bros. Pictures, is released. Directed by Richard Williams, fresh from the success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, it had been known for being in production since the 1960s, with Richard and a lot of other animators painstakingly working to created what Richard said to be “the greatest animated film of all time”.

Despite going over budget, the film being almost cancelled due to likely comparisons to Disney’s Aladdin, as well as threats of booting Richard off, he was able to stand his ground and get the film fully completed to his vision. Although it wasn’t a huge box office success, it would gain universal acclaim from critics and audiences. The Thief and the Cobbler was compared to the likes of Beauty and the Beast for being one of the animation world’s modern classic films, as well as being hailed by some critic as being one of the greatest animated films of all time.

Siskel & Ebert’s review made many audiences agree, as Ebert put it best: “The Thief and the Cobbler is to Warner Bros. as Beauty and the Beast is to Disney. Never in my life have I seen an animated film so brimming with complexity, comedy, and a sense of true, honest life. This is easily one of the 1990s’ best films.”

It would win the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature (ironically beating out Aladdin), the BAFTA Award for Best Visual Special Effects, the LA Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Feature and the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film.

1994: At the 66th Academy Awards, The Thief and the Cobbler wins the award for Best Visual Effects, beating out Jurassic Park.

2003: The Online Film Critics Society named The Thief and the Cobbler the 21st greatest animated film of all time.

2011: The Thief and the Cobbler is selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant", becoming the first non-Disney animated feature to be inducted.

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