The Swan Princess (film series)

Films

The Swan Princess is a 1994 American animated musical fantasy film based on the ballet Swan Lake. It stars the voices of Jack Palance, John Cleese, Steven Wright, and Sandy Duncan. The film was directed by former Disney animation director Richard Rich and produced by Nest Entertainment and Rich Animation Studios. The musical score was composed by Lex de Azevedo, who also wrote the songs with lyricist David Zippel.

The story follows Princess Odette and Prince Derek, who are pushed together by their parents and dislike each other as children and teenagers, but develop romantic feelings as adults, marry, and become the future rulers of the kingdom. It was released theatrically on November 18, 1994, and received mixed reviews from critics. The soundtrack album, The Swan Princess: Music from the Motion Picture, contains the songs written by Lex de Azevedo and David Zippel, as well as the film's score composed and conducted by Lex de Azevedo, with additional score conducted by Larry Bastian.

The score was orchestrated by Lex de Azevedo, Larry Bastian, and Larry Schwartz. The theme song "Far Longer than Forever" was written by Lex de Azevedo and David Zippel, produced by Robbie Buchanan, and performed by Regina Belle and Jeffrey Osborne. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. The direct-to-video sequel The Swan Princess: Escape from Castle Mountain (also known as The Swan Princess: The Secret of the Castle) was released in 1997.

Directed again by Richard Rich, it follows Derek and Odette one year after their wedding, when their anniversary celebrations are disrupted by the evil sorcerer Clavius, who wants to regain the Forbidden Arts and destroy their happiness. The third installment, The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Kingdom (also known as The Swan Princess III: The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure), was released direct-to-video in 1998, directed by Richard Rich and featuring the voices of Michelle Nicastro and Brian Nissen as Odette and Derek.

This film follows Derek and Odette dealing with Zelda, an evil sorceress seeking the Forbidden Arts to destroy their happiness.