FILM · 1988 · USA
The Land Before Time
31 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (31)
- #001
It was the highest-grossing animated film of all time until The Little Mermaid (1989).
- #002
The old Rooter was not in the original script but was added to soften the blow caused by the death of Littlefoot's mother.
- #003
The role of Ducky was Judith Barsi's favorite among her own film roles.
- #004
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas initially wanted the film to contain no dialogue, like the Rite of Spring sequence in Fantasia (1940). However, to make the film appealing to children, they abandoned this idea and had the voice work done by actors.
- #005
Along with a surprising 13 sequels, eight games, two sing-along videos and a TV series were made.
- #006
The scene where Sharptooth lands on Littlefoot's mother's back was initially fully visible, but it was turned into a shadow.
- #007
Apart from the Indiana Jones films, it is the only film co-produced by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.
- #008
Pizza Hut once ran a promotion featuring the characters. If you spent a certain amount on pizza, you could get a free hand puppet of one of the characters. When the film was first released on video, a Pizza Hut commercial was also shown before the film began.
- #009
During development, Cera began as a male triceratops named 'Bambo'. Making Cera female was George Lucas's idea.
- #010
During the production of An American Tail (1986), talks began with Steven Spielberg about his next feature film. He wanted to make a film similar to Bambi (1942) but featuring dinosaurs.
- #011
Twenty-nine animal species appeared in this film. By the time the film was made, five of them had become extinct.
- #012
Although Don Bluth did not like the film, he believes its weaker release started because it was his first significant exposure to studio interference.
- #013
Littlefoot's original name was going to be 'Thunderfoot', but a triceratops in a children's book already had that name.
- #014
Although the character does not speak in the film and only gives a small chuckle, Bill Erwin, who voiced Grandpa Longneck, is listed in the credits. It has been speculated that Longneck originally had a larger speaking role due to many scenes being cut from the final film, but this was never confirmed.
- #015
The film's narrator also voiced Rooter. This may have been done to underline the fact that both characters are very wise and understanding.
- #016
Extensive research was conducted before production, with researchers visiting natural history museums in New York and Los Angeles and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.
- #017
The film's first working title was The Land Before Time Began.
- #018
The second half of the film was not as Don Bluth originally intended. In the original version, after Littlefoot leaves, he finds the Great Valley and the others go with Cera. He realizes he must find them because they cannot find their own way, and he chases after them and finds them at the volcano. Then the Sharptooth scene takes place and he leads them to the valley. In the scene where Littlefoot tells his mother that he will never find the Great Valley because it is too hard, the rock they push onto Sharptooth is still in the foreground. The scene where he looks at the Great Valley shows him standing alone, and there is a shot of Littlefoot and the others closely following him as they slide toward a stop where Petrie perches on top of his head.
- #019
There is also a removed scene in which the group finds an oasis, but two groups of dinosaurs already there are discriminated against and say that only Ducky can drink. These elements are still included in the children's book released alongside the film.
- #020
Judith Barsi, who worked with Steven Spielberg on this film, was his first choice to play Lex in Jurassic Park (1993). He was completely unaware that Barsi had been killed by her own father only a few years earlier. After hearing the news, he expressed deep sorrow. The role of Lex ultimately went to Ariana Richards.
- #021
In the scene where Sharptooth is pushed under the large rock, there was a shot of Sharptooth looking into the water, but it was deemed too frightening.
- #022
It is the only film in the series that is not a musical and the only one released in theaters; all the others were musicals and went straight to home video.
- #023
Littlefoot (an Apatosaurus) and Cera (a Triceratops) are portrayed as good friends throughout the series. However, these dinosaurs never lived together. Because the Triceratops (from the Cretaceous period) existed later than the Apatosaurus (from the Jurassic period), it is closer in time to the existence of humans (in fact, to modern times).
- #024
Castle Thunder: the thunder sound is heard at the very start of the first storm, when it frightens Baby Cera.
- #025
The full, uncut version was reportedly shown in many foreign countries. However, there is not much evidence to support this claim.
- #026
Sharptooth is the only dinosaur species that never speaks or communicates with the other dinosaurs in any way. A herd of long-necks greedily destroying a small grove of trees are the only other dinosaur characters that do not speak or communicate with the other dinosaurs.
- #027
It was initially planned for release in the fall of 1987. Production was delayed by a year because Sullivan Bluth Studios moved to Dublin, Ireland.
- #028
Among the five main characters, Petrie is the only one not initially shown hatching (although Spike hatches midway through the film).
- #029
None of the voice actors appear in every film. Most were replaced after the first one, and Frank Welker came close but was absent from The Land Before Time XI.
- #030
Whether he knows it or not, Littlefoot avenges his mother by defeating Sharptooth at the end of the film.
- #031
It was the first animated film to premiere on Cartoon Network's Cartoon Theatre.
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