The Land Before Time

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The Land Before Time
Franchise logo
Created byDon Bluth
Judy Freudberg
Tony Geiss
Original workThe Land Before Time (1988)
OwnerUniversal Pictures
Years1988 (1988)–2016
Films and television
Film(s)The Land Before Time (1988)
Animated seriesThe Land Before Time (2007–2008)
Direct-to-video
Games
Video game(s)See list of The Land Before Time video games
Audio
Soundtrack(s)
Miscellaneous
Toy(s)Merchandise
Official website
https://www.landbeforetime.com/

The Land Before Time is an American animated feature film series and media franchise created by Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss, distributed by Universal Pictures and centered on dinosaurs. The series began in 1988 with the eponymous The Land Before Time, directed and produced by Don Bluth and executive produced by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. It was followed by 13 direct-to-video musical sequels, a TV series, video games, soundtracks, and related merchandising. Neither the sequels nor the series involve the participation of Bluth, Lucas, or Spielberg. All 14 films were released as a Complete Collection DVD set on June 14, 2016.[1]

Plot[edit]

The films follow the friendship of a group of young ornithodirans (four dinosaurs and a pterosaur) named Littlefoot (male Apatosaurus), Cera (female Triceratops), Ducky (female Saurolophus), Petrie (male Pteranodon), and Spike (male Stegosaurus). After finding the Great Valley, they raise a carnivorous baby (a male Tyrannosaurus, whom they name Chomper), survive a drought and a cold snap, and even witness a solar eclipse. Throughout all the films, they embark upon adventures, learning lessons about life, teamwork and friendship along the way.

List of titles[edit]

Films[edit]

The following is a list of the 14 films in the series.

# Title Release Date Director(s) Writer(s) Producer(s) Editor(s) Narrator(s) Composer(s) Production company(ies)/Distributor(s)
1 The Land Before Time November 18, 1988 Don Bluth Screenplay:
Stu Krieger
Story:
Judy Freudberg
Tony Geiss
Don Bluth
Gary Goldman
John Pomeroy
Executive producers:
Steven Spielberg
George Lucas
Co-executive producers:
Frank Marshall
Kathleen Kennedy
Associate producer:
Deborah Jelin Newmyer
John K. Carr
Dan Molina
Pat Hingle James Horner Amblin Entertainment
Sullivan-Bluth Studios
Lucasfilm
Universal Pictures
2 The Great Valley Adventure December 13, 1994 Roy Allen Smith John Loy
John Ludin
Dev Ross
Roy Allen Smith
Co-producer:
Zahra Dowlatabadi
Animation producer:
Nelson Shin
Jay Bixsen John Ingle Michael Tavera Universal Cartoon Studios
MCA Universal Home Video
3 The Time of the Great Giving December 12, 1995 Dev Ross Roy Allen Smith
Zahra Dowlatabadi
Animation producer:
Nelson Shin
4 Journey Through the Mists December 10, 1996 Roy Allen Smith
Co-producer:
Zahra Dowlatabadi
Animation producer:
Nelson Shin
Warren Taylor
5 The Mysterious Island December 9, 1997 Charles Grosvenor John Loy Charles Grosvenor
Associate producer:
Rocky Solotoff
Jay Bixsen Universal Cartoon Studios
Universal Studios Home Video
6 The Secret of Saurus Rock December 1, 1998 Libby Hinson
John Loy
Charles Grosvenor
Associate producer:
Melinda Rediger
Rocky Solotoff
Kenneth Mars
7 The Stone of Cold Fire December 5, 2000 Len Uhley Charles Grosvenor
Associate producer:
Daniel J. Wiley
Danik Thomas N/A
8 The Big Freeze December 4, 2001 John Loy John Ingle
9 Journey to Big Water December 10, 2002 Dev Ross Jay Bixsen
10 The Great Longneck Migration December 2, 2003 John Loy Charles Grosvenor
Executive producer:
James Wang
Associate producer:
Daniel J. Wiley
11 Invasion of the Tinysauruses January 11, 2005[2] Charles Grosvenor
Associate producer:
Daniel J. Wiley
12 The Great Day of the Flyers December 6, 2006 Michael Tavera
Kyle Kenneth Batter
Universal Animation Studios
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
13 The Wisdom of Friends November 27, 2007 Jamie Mitchell
Supervising director:
Charles Grosvenor
Daniel J. Wiley Michael Tavera
14 Journey of the Brave February 2, 2016 Davis Doi Elana Lesser
Cliff Ruby
Lisa Melbye
Deirdre Brenner
Luke Guidici Tony Amendola Universal Animation Studios
Universal 1440 Entertainment
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Albums[edit]

  • The Land Before Time (1988) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  • The Land Before Time: Sing-Along Songs (1997): Songs from the first four movies (movies I, II, III, and IV). The album was later released in a VHS format which included facts about the dinosaurs featured in the franchise.
  • The Songs from The Land Before Time (1997): Songs from the first four movies (movies I-IV)
  • The Land Before Time: More Sing-Along Songs (1999) Songs from movies V and VI (the last two of the first 6 movies) and An American Tail film series (movies III and IV).
  • The Best Songs from The Land Before Time (2016) Songs from movies I, VI, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XIV.

Television series[edit]

A television series based on the films began airing on YTV in Canada on January 5, 2007. It consisted of one season of 26 episodes, and officially premiered on Cartoon Network in the United States on March 5, 2007, after the DVD release of The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers.[3] The TV series takes place after the events of The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends. It has since been collected and released on 6 DVDs, each containing 4 episodes, in the United States and the UK.

Games[edit]

The series has spawned 14 spin-off games, eight for PC, one for the Game Boy Color, two for the Game Boy Advance and three for the original PlayStation. The PC games are usually educational games aimed for preschool and kindergarten. Games for the Game Boy Color and Advance include The Land Before Time and The Land Before Time: Into the Mysterious Beyond, in which the original six characters must search for Chomper. Games for the PlayStation include The Land Before Time: Big Water Adventure, a spin-off of Journey to Big Water, The Land Before Time: Great Valley Racing Adventure and The Land Before Time: Return to the Great Valley. All characters in these games are voiced by Lani Minella.

Cast and characters[edit]

List indicator(s)

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.

  • An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
  •  D indicates an appearance as a character's disguised voice.
  •  S indicates an appearance as a character's singing voice.
Characters Films Television series
The Land Before Time 2
The Great Valley Adventure
3
The Time of the Great Giving
4
Journey Through the Mists
5
The Mysterious Island
6
The Secret of Saurus Rock
7
The Stone of Cold Fire
8
The Big Freeze
9
Journey to Big Water
10
The Great Longneck Migration
11
Invasion of the Tinysauruses
12
The Great Day of the Flyers
13
The Wisdom of Friends
14
Journey of the Brave
The Land Before Time
1988 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2016 2007–2008
Littlefoot Gabriel Damon Scott McAfee Brandon LaCroix
Thomas DekkerS
Thomas Dekker Alec Medlock Aaron Spann Nick Price Cody Arens
Logan ArensD
Anthony SkillmanS
Felix Avitia Cody Arens
Anthony SkillmanS
Cera Candace Hutson Anndi McAfee
Ducky Judith Barsi Heather Hogan Aria Noelle Curzon
Petrie Will Ryan Jeff Bennett
Spike N/A Rob Paulsen Jeff Bennett Rob Paulsen
Chomper Rob Paulsen Cannon Young Issac Brown Max Burkholder
Ruby Meghan Strange
Grandpa Longneck Bill Erwin (deleted role) Kenneth Mars Does not speak Barry Bostwick Kenneth Mars
Grandma Longneck Does not speak Linda Gary Miriam Flynn Does not speak Miriam Flynn
Daddy Topps Burke Byrnes John Ingle George Ball John Ingle
Ducky's Mother Does not speak Tress MacNeille Tress MacNeille Tress MacNeille Tress MacNeille Does not speak Anndi McAfee Tress MacNeille
Littlefoot's Mother Helen Shaver Flashback Flashback |
Petrie's Mother Does not speak Tress MacNeille Tress MacNeille Tress MacNeille Tress MacNeille Meghan Strange Tress MacNeille
Sharptooth
Chomper’s parents N/A
Hyp Whit Hertford
Josh KeatonS
Mikey Kelley
Nod Scott Menville Scott Menville
Mutt Jeff Bennett Jeff Bennett
Ali Juliana Hansen Nika Futterman
Old One Carol Bruce Jessica Walter
Elsie Christina Pickles
Doc Kris Kristofferson Jeff Bennett
Mr. Thicknose Robert Guillaume Dorian Harewood
Tippy Jeremy Suarez Cree Summer
Stegosaurus Mother Susan Krebs Susan Krebs
Stegosaurus Leader Rob Paulsen Rob Paulsen
Mo Rob Paulsen Does not speak Rob Paulsen Rob Paulsen
Shorty Brandon Michael DePaul Elizabeth Daily
Bron Kiefer Sutherland Scott Whyte Cam Clarke
Tria Camryn Manheim Jessica Gee Jessica Gee
Guido Rob Paulsen Rob Paulsen
Tricia Nika Futterman Meghan Strange
Kosh Rob Paulsen Jeff Bennett Rob Paulsen Pete Sepenuk
Jeff Bennett

References[edit]

  1. ^ Grosvenor, Charles; Bluth, Don; Smith, Roy Allen; Mitchell, Jamie; Doi, Davis (June 14, 2016), The Land Before Time: The Complete Collection, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, retrieved October 4, 2016
  2. ^ "The Land Before Time: Invasion of the Tinysauruses". Rotten Tomatoes.
  3. ^ The Land Before Time, 2007-03-05, retrieved 2016-07-26

External links[edit]