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Richard Rich is an American film director, producer, and animator.

He started at the mailroom at the Walt Disney Studio in the early 1970s after founder Walt Disney had died, working with his successor as chief animator, Don Bluth. The only two films he directed at Disney were The Fox and the Hound and The Black Cauldron.

In January 1986, he left Disney to found his own studio, Rich Animation Studios (later known as RichCrest Animation Studios), and directed a series of upbeat, inspiring animated short films based on the Bible and the Book of Mormon. He also wrote and directed the animated film, The Swan Princess and worked on its respective sequels.

He is the youngest animation director in the history of The Walt Disney Company, but did not start out as an animator.

He taught piano lessons during his lunch hour, which got the attention from Disney executives.

Filmography[]

Year Film Position
1971 Bedknobs and Broomsticks Assistant Director (uncredited)
1973 Robin Hood Assistant Director (uncredited)
1974 Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too! Assistant Director (uncredited)
1977 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Assistant Director
1977 The Rescuers Assistant Director
1977 Pete's Dragon Assistant Director
1978 The Small One Assistant Director/Songwriter (Writer & Lyrics: A Friendly Face)
1981 The Fox and the Hound Director/Songwriter (Music: Goodbye May Seem Forever)
1985 The Black Cauldron Director/Writer/Story


Outside Filmography[]

Year Film Position Production Company Distributed by Current Distribution Rights
1987-1992 Animated Stories from the Book of Mormon Director/Producer/Writer Rich Animation Studios Living Scriptures Living Scriptures
1987-1992, 1995-2005 Animated Stories from the New Testament Director/Producer Rich Animation Studios Nest Learning Nest Leaning
1992-1995 Animated Stories from the Old Testament Director/Producer Rich Animation Studios Nest Learning Nest Leaning
1992-1998,2004 Animated Hero Classics Director/Producer Rich Animation Studios Nest Learning Nest Leaning
1994 The Swan Princess Director/Producer/Writer Rich Animation Studios
Nest Entertainment
New Line Cinema (USA)
Columbia-TriStar Film Distributors International (Worldwide)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
1997 The Swan Princess: Escape from Castle Mountain Director/Producer/Writer Rich Animation Studios
Nest Entertainment
Legacy Releasing (USA)
Columbia-TriStar Film Distributors International (Worldwide)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
1998 The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Kingdom Director/Producer/Writer Rich Animation Studios
Nest Entertainment
Columbia-TriStar Home Video Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
1999 The King and I Director Rich Animation Studios
Nest Entertainment
Rankin/Bass Productions
Morgan Creek Productions
Warner Bros. Pictures Mill Creek Entertainment
2000 The Scarecrow Director/Producer/Writer Rich Animation Studios
Nest Family Entertainment (uncredited)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Home Video
2001 The Trumpet of the Swan Director Nest Family Entertainment
RichCrest Animation Studios
TriStar Pictures (Sony Pictures) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
2002 Muhammad: The Last Prophet Director RichCrest Animation Studios Fine Media Group
Badr International
2006 Arthur's Missing Pal Producer Arthur Worldwide
WGBH-TV
RichCrest Animation Studios
Marc Brown Studios
Kidtoon Films Lionsgate Home Entertainment
2006 Happily N'Ever After Producer (uncredited) Vanguard Animation
Odyssey Entertainment
BAF Berlin Animation Film
BFC Berliner Film Companie
Nitrogen Studios
Lionsgate Lionsgate Home Entertainment
2009 Happily N'Ever After 2 Executive producer Kickstart Productions
Berlin Animation Film
Lionsgate Lionsgate Home Entertainment
2010 Alpha and Omega Producer Crest Animation Studios Lionsgate Lionsgate Home Entertainment
2011 The Little Engine That Could Producer Crest Animation Studios
Universal Animation Studios
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
2012 The Swan Princess Christmas Director/Producer Crest Animation Productions
Nest Family Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
2013 Alpha and Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure Director/Producer/Story Crest Animation Productions Lionsgate Home Entertainment
2014 The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale Director/Producer/Writer/Story Crest Animation Productions
Nest Family Entertainment
Sony Wonder
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
2014 Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games Director/Producer Crest Animation Productions Lionsgate Home Entertainment
2014 Alpha and Omega: The Legend of the Saw Tooth Cave Director/Producer Crest Animation Productions Lionsgate Lionsgate Home Entertainment
2015 Alpha and Omega: Family Vacation Producer Crest Animation Productions Lionsgate Home Entertainment
2016 The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today Director/Producer Crest Animation Productions
Nest Family Entertainment
Streetlight Productions
Sony Wonder
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
2017 The Swan Princess: Royally Undercover Director/Producer Crest Animation Productions
Nest Family Entertainment
Streetlight Productions
Sony Wonder
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
2018 The Swan Princess: A Royal Myztery Director/Producer Crest Animation Productions
Nest Family Entertainment
Streetlight Productions
Sony Wonder
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
2019 The Swan Princess: Kingdom of Music Director/Producer Crest Animation Productions
Nest Family Entertainment
Streetlight Productions
Sony Wonder
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
2020 The Swan Princess: A Royal Wedding Director/Producer Crest Animation Productions
Nest Family Entertainment
Streetlight Productions
Sony Wonder
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Gallery[]


v - e - d
Walt Disney Animation Studios - Transparent Logo
1920s—1970s
Disney's Nine Old Men: Milt KahlFrank ThomasOllie JohnstonLes ClarkJohn LounsberyMarc DavisWard KimballEric LarsonWolfgang Reitherman

Animators: Bill TytlaArt BabbittLee BlairPreston BlairFred MooreShamus CulhaneCy YoungDon LuskNorman FergusonHal KingJack HannahDick KinneyHal AmbroKen O'BrienJudge WhitakerBill JusticeDon BluthGary GoldmanCharles A. NicholsBlaine GibsonJohn EwingWalt StanchfieldRolly CrumpFred HellmichAmby PaliwodaWilfred JacksonXavier AtencioBen SharpsteenEarl HurdDale OliverEric CleworthDavid HandFred SpencerJulius SvendsenJack BradburyKenneth MuseRudolf IsingHugh HarmanFriz FrelengWalt KellyLeo SalkinJohn DehnerRetta ScottDavid SwiftMel ShawJack CuttingGrant SimmonsArt StevensFrank TashlinWathel RogersTyrus WongJohnny Cannon
Visual Development, Layout, Background Artists and Character Designers: Gustaf TenggrenMary BlairMarjorie RalstonLillian BoundsJoe GrantMel ShawClaude CoatsDon DaGradiJohn HenchEyvind EarleKen O'ConnorThor PutnamAlbert HurterJohn HubleyHerbert RymanDon GriffithBasil DavidovichJack BoydPeter EllenshawRuthie TompsonEarl DuvallRetta DavidsonUb IwerksVance GerryHazel SewellJames BodreroLance NolleyGrace BaileyMaurice NobleDale BarnhartAndy EngmanEustace LycettJohn EmersonJoe Hale
Storyboard Artists and Writers: Bill PeetRalph WrightDick HuemerFloyd NormanYale GraceyTed SearsErdman PennerJoe RinaldiWinston HiblerOtto EnglanderWilliam CottrellBill BergAl BertinoT. HeeHomer BrightmanTed OsbourneLarry ClemmonsHarry ReevesJesse MarshChuck CouchWebb SmithDick Sebast
Directors: Clyde GeronimiHamilton LuskeJack KinneyTed BermanRichard RichGeorge ScribnerRiley ThomsonDick LundyJack KingBurt GillettJames AlgarBill RobertsLarry Lansburgh
Producers: Walt DisneyRon MillerKen AndersonDon DuckwallPerce PearceMargaret J. Winkler

1980s—present
Renaissance Directors: Rob MinkoffRoger AllersGary TrousdaleKirk WiseChris SandersMark DindalJohn Musker

Story Trust Directors: Ron ClementsChris BuckByron HowardDon HallChris WilliamsRich MooreStephen J. AndersonNathan GrenoFawn Veerasunthorn
Producers: Peter Del VechoClark SpencerRoy ConliDorothy McKimDon HahnShane Morris
Chief Creative Officer: Jennifer Lee
Associated Figures: Bob IgerRoy Edward DisneyMichael EisnerJohn LasseterEd CatmullJeffrey KatzenbergBob Chapek
Signature Voice Actors: Jim CummingsAlan TudykKatie LowesJohn DiMaggioMaurice LaMarcheJodi BensonDavid Ogden StiersJesse CortiPaul BriggsRaymond S. PersiPhil JohnstonFrank WelkerBill FarmerBrian Cummings
Signature Musicians: Robert B. Sherman Richard M. Sherman Alan Menken Kristen Anderson-Lopez Robert LopezLin-Manuel MirandaHoward AshmanTim RicePhil CollinsStephen SchwartzMarc ShaimanDanny Troob
Supervising Animators: Glen KeaneAndreas DejaEric GoldbergMark HennJohn PomeroyRandy HaycockDale BaerTony BancroftTom BancroftTony FucileAnthony DeRosaRuss EdmondsRandy HaycockBruce W. SmithDuncan MarjoribanksRuben AquinoNik RanieriRon HusbandRick FarmiloeTom SitoTony AnselmoWill FinnKathy Zielinski
Visual Development & Storyboard Artists: Dean DeBloisClaire KeaneBrittney LeeJin KimShiyoon KimRyan Green

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