The Nutcracker is a 1993 English-language Family Fantasy motion picture written by Susan Cooper, Thomas Keneally and Steven Zaillian. The movie is directed by Emile Ardolino and Steven Spielberg and produced by Robert Hurwitz and Robert A. Krasnow under the banner of Warner Bros. Family Entertainment in collaboration with Elektra Entertainment and Regency Enterprises. On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie (Cohen) falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams.. The nutcracker stars Darci Kistler in the title role along with an ensemble cast including Damian Woetzel, Kyra Nichols, Bart Robinson Cook, Macaulay Culkin, Jessica Lynn Cohen and New York City Ballet. The film is based on Peter Martins's stage production of The Nutcracker. The music was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Cinematography was done by Ralf D. Bode and editing by Girish Bhargava. The movie has a running time of 92 minutes. It was released on 24th November 1993. The Nutcracker was made on a budget of $19 million and at the box office it grossed only $2 million. Distribution rights for the movie were acquired by Warner Bros. On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie (Cohen) falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams..