Podcast

377. Ron Clements Discusses the Making of Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Moana, and Other Classic Films

Ron Clements was the keynote speaker in 2025 for our Writers and Illustrators of the Future Gala. We connected up again at LTUE—Life, the Universe, and Everything Symposium—in Provo, Utah, where we recorded this interview. Ron has been an animation director, screenwriter, and producer for Disney for four decades. Along with co-producer John Muster, he is the creator of Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Moana, Princess and the Frog, and one of my favorites, Pete’s Dragon.

In this interview, we discuss his journey to become one of the most successful animated movie producers of today and the process of creating animated movies. The story of how Robin Williams was brought on board for Aladdin was amazing!