Striking similarities between 'The Thief and the Cobbler' (1960-ish) and 'Aladdin' (1994)
What is it: plagiarism, inspiration, coincidence?
It's really neither.
'The Thief and the Cobbler' was originally created in the 60s. The animated movie was in and out of production for almost three decades because of independent funding and ambitiously complex animation. In the 80s, Disney bought the rights to a rough version of 'The Thief and the Cobbler'.
The studio was in bad shape at the time. Disney urgently needed a masterpiece that would restore their lost popularity. They needed something exotic, entertaining, and most importantly, in a very short time.
That's why the rough plot of the unknown 'The Thief and the Cobbler' along with many scenes and appearance of characters from it were used as a basis for the creation of 'Aladdin', which would become one of the most iconic cartoons of the studio.
'The Thief and the Cobbler': A Long-Term Project in Animation History ⏳
Richard Williams dreamed of creating a masterpiece and worked on this animated film for nearly 30 years (1964–1993). His perfectionism played a cruel trick on him: the studio took the project away from him, and the producers hastily completed the film, cutting scenes, re-recording voices, and releasing it in two versions — in 1993 (The Princess and the Cobbler) and 1995 (Arabian Knight).
The original character of Vizier Zigzag is voiced by Vincent Price — his old recordings were used, as the actor had already passed away by the time of the premiere.
This animated film is a unique phenomenon in the world of animation: its style is inspired by Persian miniatures, some scenes completely lack perspective, and its production history is shrouded in myths. In 2006, fans attempted to restore the director's cut, but even that version remains far from Williams' original vision.
The film that could have become a legend never saw the light of day in its complete form. Yet, even in its truncated version, it remains one of the most enigmatic animated projects in history.