An American Tail (franchise)
Franchise about a Russian-Jewish mouse immigrant in 1885 America.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
An American Tail is a children's film franchise that began with the 1986 animated feature of the same name, directed by Don Bluth and produced by Sullivan Bluth Studios and Amblin Entertainment. The series centers on Fievel Mousekewitz, a young Russian-Jewish mouse who immigrates to the United States in 1885. The franchise inspired attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida, including "Fievel's Playland" and "An American Tail Show."
After the first two films, which involved Steven Spielberg, Universal Pictures released two direct-to-video sequels: *An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island* and *An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster*. All four movies were collected on a combination pack DVD released on June 13, 2017.
**Films**
*An American Tail* (1986) follows Fievel and his family as they leave Russia for America, where Fievel becomes lost and tries to reunite with them.
*An American Tail: Fievel Goes West* (1991) is a Western-themed sequel. Since 2015, it has been shown four times at the Jimmy Stewart Museum as a tribute to James Stewart, who voiced a character in his final film role.
*An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island* (1998) is a direct-to-video sequel made without Amblin Entertainment. It explores darker themes than the earlier films and was released in the United States in February 2000.
*An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster* (1999) is another direct-to-video sequel not involving Amblin Entertainment, released in the United States in July 2000. The film series ended afterward, as the studio shifted focus to direct-to-video sequels based on *Balto*.
**Television**
*Fievel's American Tails* (1992) is a spin-off TV series that continues the story from *Fievel Goes West*. The series was left unfinished until NBCUniversal regained the rights in 2020, making it available on Peacock until its removal in 2025.
**Cast and characters**
An "S" in the cast list indicates a character's singing voice.
**Production**
Fievel Mousekewitz was named after the Yiddish name of Steven Spielberg's grandfather, Philip Posner. Fievel also served as the mascot for Amblimation, Spielberg's short-lived animation studio, appearing in its production logo.
**Reception**
*(No information provided in the source.)*
**In other media**
**Video games** - *An American Tail: The Computer Adven
- first_film_release
- 1986
- last_film_release
- 1999
- number_of_films
- 4
- creator
- Don Bluth
- production_companies
- Sullivan Bluth Studios, Amblin Entertainment, Universal Pictures
- known_for
- Fievel Mousekewitz, immigrant mouse protagonist
- notable_song
- Somewhere Out There
Lore & Background
The franchise began with the 1986 film An American Tail, directed by Don Bluth and produced by Sullivan Bluth Studios/Amblin Entertainment. It follows Fievel Mousekewitz and his family as they immigrate from Russia to the United States, where Fievel gets lost and aims to reunite with them. A sequel, An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, was released in 1991 and has been exhibited four times at the Jimmy Stewart Museum since 2015, a dedication to James Stewart in his final role.
Following the two films produced with Spielberg's involvement, Universal Pictures continued the franchise with two direct-to-video sequels: An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (1998, released in the US in February 2000) and An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999, released in the US in July 2000). The film series was subsequently discontinued to focus work on direct-to-video sequels based on Balto. A spin-off TV series, Fievel's American Tails, aired in 1992 and remained abandoned until NBCUniversal regained rights in 2020; it was available on Peacock until its removal in 2025.
Reader's Guide
An American Tail holds significance as a children's film franchise that introduced audiences to Fievel Mousekewitz, a character named after the Yiddish name of Steven Spielberg's grandfather. Fievel also served as the mascot for Amblimation, Spielberg's short-lived animation studio, and was featured in its production logo. The franchise expanded into multiple media, including video games such as An American Tail: The Computer Adventures of Fievel and His Friends (1992), An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1994), An American Tail Movie Book (1998), An American Tail: Fievel's Gold Rush (2002), and An American Tail (2007). It also inspired theme park attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida, including Fievel's Playland and An American Tail Show. The song 'Somewhere Out There' from the first film won two Academy Awards and was nominated for a Golden Globe. The franchise's legacy includes a combination pack DVD of all four films released on June 13, 2017.
Did You Know?
- Fievel Mousekewitz was named after the Yiddish name of Steven Spielberg's grandfather, Philip Posner.
- The song 'Somewhere Out There' won two Academy Awards at the 30th award show.
- Fievel's Playland ran at Universal Studios Hollywood from 1989 to 1997 and in Florida from July 5, 1992, to January 16, 2023.
- The film series was discontinued to focus work on direct-to-video sequels based on Balto.
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