The Land Before Time's director was Don Bluth.
The Land Before Time is a 1988 American-Irish animated adventure drama film directed and produced by Don Bluth and executive produced by Steven Spielberg , George Lucas , Kathleen Kennedy , and Frank Marshall . Released by Universal Pictures on November 18 , 1988 , the film was a critical and financial success , and spawned a multimillion-dollar franchise with thirteen direct-to-video sequels and a television series ( without involvement from Bluth , Spielberg , or Lucas ) as well as merchandise ( toys , video games , etc. ) and a television series .