Ronald Francis Clements (born April 25, 1953) is an American animator, film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He often collaborates with fellow director John Musker. He is best known for writing and directing the Disney animated films The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), Treasure Planet (2002), The Princess and the Frog (2009), and Moana (2016). Description above from the Wikipedia article Ron Clements, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- April 25, 1953 (73)
- Sioux City, Iowa, USA
- Writer, director, producer and actor
- 21 on Motif · 28 credits in all
What are Ron Clements' films like?
Across their 13 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 11
Light 10 · Serious 1 · Dark 1
Grounded 1 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 9
Gentle 3 · Charged 9 · Intense 0
Steady 5 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 5
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 1
Casual 11 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 10 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 0
Resolved 12 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy13
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Ron Clements' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 21 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, on Disney+ (20).
- Aladdin (1992) · director, writer, producer
- Moana (2016) · director, writer
- The Little Mermaid (1989) · director, writer
- Hercules (1997) · director, writer, producer
- Treasure Planet (2002) · director, writer, producer
- The Princess and the Frog (2009) · director, writer
- The Fox and the Hound (1981) · animation director
- The Great Mouse Detective (1986) · director, writer
- The Rescuers (1977) · animation
- Pete's Dragon (1977) · animation
- The Black Cauldron (1985) · writer
- The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (2008) · writer
- +8 more
Subscription and free streaming for Ron Clements' titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
28 credits, 21 with a Motif page; 17 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Moana(2026)
Motif score: 39th percentile of all films
The Little Mermaid(2023)
Motif score: 43rd percentile of all films
The Little Mermaid Live!(2019)
Motif score: 33rd percentile of all films
Gone Fishing (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2017)
Moana(2016)
Motif score: 96th percentile of all films
Motif score: 90th percentile of all films
Dreams Come True: A Celebration of Disney Animation (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2009)
Motif score: 54th percentile of all films
Treasure Planet(2002)
Motif score: 91st percentile of all films
Motif score: 33rd percentile of all films
Hercules: Zero to Hero (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)
Hercules(1998)
Motif score: 30th percentile of all shows
Hercules(1997)
Motif score: 93rd percentile of all films
Great Minds Think for Themselves (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1997)
Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films
Aladdin(1994)
Motif score: 60th percentile of all shows
The Return of Jafar(1994)
Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films
Aladdin(1992)
Motif score: 98th percentile of all films
The Little Mermaid(1992)
Motif score: 40th percentile of all shows
The Little Mermaid(1989)
Motif score: 94th percentile of all films
Motif score: 87th percentile of all films
The Black Cauldron(1985)
Motif score: 55th percentile of all films
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1983)
The Fox and the Hound(1981)
Motif score: 89th percentile of all films
Pete's Dragon(1977)
Motif score: 55th percentile of all films
The Rescuers(1977)
Motif score: 78th percentile of all films
Shades of Sherlock Holmes! (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)
Aladdin: Live from the West End (not in the Motif catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 24 titles, 23 of them dated from 1972 to 2026.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.
Awards
4 major nominations and no wins, 2003–2017.
- Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film
- Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
- Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Ron Clements' films land?
Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 92nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up9
- 50th to 74th5
- 25th to 49th7
Shape of the crowd
11 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Divisive1
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser11
- Broadly Agreed3
- Mixed1
Reviewers score the dialogue 58/100 and the plot and story 50/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Ron Clements' work okay for kids?
Across up to 9 Motif titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and alcohol & drugs run lighter than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Ron Clements work with?
People who share at least 2 of Ron Clements' Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Musker shares the most, 12.
Directors
- John MuskerShared titles: The Little Mermaid Live! (2019), Moana (2016), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Treasure Planet (2002), Hercules (1997), Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), The Return of Jafar (1994), Aladdin (1992), The Little Mermaid (1992), The Little Mermaid (1989), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Black Cauldron (1985)See all 12 shared titles with John Musker
- Tad StonesShared titles: Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), The Return of Jafar (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Tad Stones
Writers
- Ted ElliottShared titles: Treasure Planet (2002), Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), The Return of Jafar (1994), Aladdin (1992)See all 4 shared titles with Ted Elliott
- Terry RossioShared titles: Treasure Planet (2002), Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), The Return of Jafar (1994), Aladdin (1992)See all 4 shared titles with Terry Rossio
- Vance GerryShared titles: Hercules (1997), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Black Cauldron (1985)See all 3 shared titles with Vance Gerry
- Burny MattinsonShared titles: Aladdin (1992), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Black Cauldron (1985)See all 3 shared titles with Burny Mattinson
Actors
- Jim CummingsShared titles: The Princess and the Frog (2009), Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), The Return of Jafar (1994), The Little Mermaid (1992)See all 4 shared titles with Jim Cummings
- Pat CarrollShared titles: The Little Mermaid Live! (2019), Treasures Untold: The Making of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' (2006), The Little Mermaid (1989)See all 3 shared titles with Pat Carroll
- Jodi BensonShared titles: Treasures Untold: The Making of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' (2006), The Little Mermaid (1992), The Little Mermaid (1989)See all 3 shared titles with Jodi Benson
- Frank WelkerShared titles: Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), The Return of Jafar (1994), Aladdin (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Frank Welker
Composers and editors
- Alan MenkenShared titles: Hercules (1997), Aladdin (1992), The Little Mermaid (1989)See all 3 shared titles with Alan Menken
- Elen OrsonShared titles: Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), The Return of Jafar (1994), The Little Mermaid (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Elen Orson
- Mark WattersShared titles: Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), The Return of Jafar (1994), The Little Mermaid (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Mark Watters
- Jeff DraheimShared titles: Moana (2016), The Princess and the Frog (2009)See all 2 shared titles with Jeff Draheim
Producers
- John LasseterShared titles: Moana (2016), The Princess and the Frog (2009)See all 2 shared titles with John Lasseter
- Peter Del VechoShared titles: The Princess and the Frog (2009), Treasure Planet (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Peter Del Vecho
- Ron MillerShared titles: The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Black Cauldron (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Ron Miller
Mixed roles
- Howard AshmanShared titles: Treasures Untold: The Making of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' (2006), The Little Mermaid (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Howard Ashman
- Maureen DonleyShared titles: Treasures Untold: The Making of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' (2006), The Little Mermaid (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Maureen Donley
- Roger AllersShared titles: Treasures Untold: The Making of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' (2006), Aladdin (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Roger Allers
- Roy Edward DisneyShared titles: Treasures Untold: The Making of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' (2006), The Black Cauldron (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Roy Edward Disney
