Cannon Movie Tales
Cannon Group's late-1980s live-action fairy-tale film series.
In the late 1980s, the Cannon Group—led by producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, associate producer Patricia Ruben, and executive producer Itzik Kol—produced a series of live-action films known collectively as Cannon Movie Tales. Most of the stories are fairy tales adapted from the works of the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and other sources. The films were shot mainly on location in Israel, with leading roles played by major American and British actors, supported by a cast that was almost entirely Israeli. The project was first announced at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1987, positioned as Cannon’s rival to Disney’s fairy-tale films, with a total investment of US$50 million. Originally, sixteen films were planned (later scaled back to twelve), each with a budget of US$1.5 million, but only nine were ultimately released.
The nine released titles are: *The Frog Prince* (1986), *Sleeping Beauty* (1987), *The Emperor's New Clothes* (1987), *Rumpelstiltskin* (1987), *Snow White* (1987), *Beauty and the Beast* (1987), *Hansel and Gretel* (1987), *Red Riding Hood* (1987), and *Puss in Boots* (1988). Each film features a different writer and director, with some names recurring across the series.
In the United States, only eight of the nine films have been released on DVD by MGM; *The Frog Prince* is only available on VHS. While there is no official complete collection box set, the eight individual DVDs have been gathered (on five dual-sided discs) in the “MGM Movie Collection: 10 Kids Movies” set, which also includes the unrelated fantasy films *Jack the Giant Killer* (1962) and *The Magic Sword* (1962).
- planned_films
- 16 (later scaled back to 12)
Quick Facts
- Producer
- Menahem Golan · Yoram Globus
- Studio
- The Cannon Group
- Country
- United States · Israel
- Language
- English
- Budget
- US$1.5 million (per film)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Cannon Movie Tales was a series of live-action fairy-tale films produced by Cannon Group in the late 1980s. The project was announced at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1987 as Cannon's answer to Disney's fairy-tale offerings, with a budget of US$50 million. Sixteen films were originally planned, each costing US$1.5 million, but only nine were released. The films were shot principally on location in Israel, with major stars from the United States and the United Kingdom playing leading roles, joined by a mostly all-Israeli cast. The major Polish-born crew member was production designer Marek Dobrowolski.
Reader's Guide
The Cannon Movie Tales series represents a notable attempt by the Cannon Group to compete with Disney's animated fairy-tale films by producing live-action versions. The series drew on stories by the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault, among others. Despite an initial plan for sixteen films, only nine were completed and released between 1986 and 1988. The series featured a mix of American and British stars, including Aileen Quinn, Helen Hunt, Sid Caesar, Diana Rigg, and Christopher Walken, alongside Israeli actors. Of the nine films, only eight have been released on DVD in the United States by MGM; The Frog Prince remains only on VHS. The eight DVD releases have been collected in a multi-film set that also includes unrelated fantasy films. The series is sometimes compared to the earlier Faerie Tale Theatre, though it was a distinct production. Its legacy is as a curious footnote in film history—a large-scale, international fairy-tale project that fell short of its ambitious goals.
Did You Know?
- The series was announced at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1987.
- Only nine of the originally planned sixteen films were released.
- The Frog Prince has only been officially released on VHS, not DVD.
- The major Polish-born crew member was production designer Marek Dobrowolski.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cannon Movie Tales?
Cannon Movie Tales is a late-1980s series of live-action feature films produced by the Cannon Group that turned classic fairy tales into screen adaptations. The project was first revealed to the industry at the May 1987 Cannes Film Festival.
Which authors' fairy tales did Cannon Movie Tales adapt?
The stories were drawn primarily from the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault collections, with a few additional tales sourced from other traditional folklore.
Where were the Cannon Movie Tales films shot?
Most of the production took place on location in Israel, and the supporting ensemble was almost entirely Israeli. The marquee leading roles, however, were filled by well-known American and British actors.
Who produced Cannon Movie Tales?
Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus headed the Cannon Group effort, with Patricia Ruben serving as associate producer and Itzik Kol as executive producer.
How many films were in the Cannon Movie Tales slate?
The original announcement called for sixteen titles, but the plan was later trimmed down to twelve films.
More in Films based on fairy tales 1-24
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