Claim: The Prince of Egypt takes place in Egypt.

The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American animated epic musical drama film and the first traditional animated film produced and released by DreamWorks . The film is an adaptation of the Book of Exodus and follows the life of Moses from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt . Directed by Brenda Chapman , Steve Hickner , and Simon Wells , the film features songs written by Stephen Schwartz and a score composed by Hans Zimmer . The voice cast consists of Val Kilmer in a dual role , Ralph Fiennes , Michelle Pfeiffer , Sandra Bullock , Jeff Goldblum , Danny Glover , Patrick Stewart , Helen Mirren , Steve Martin , and Martin Short .   Jeffrey Katzenberg had frequently suggested an animated adaptation of the 1956 film The Ten Commandments while working for The Walt Disney Company , and he decided to put the idea into production after founding DreamWorks in 1995 . To make this inaugural project , DreamWorks employed artists who had worked for Walt Disney Feature Animation and the recently disbanded Amblimation , totaling a crew of 350 people from 34 different nations . The film has a blend of traditional animation and computer-generated imagery , created using software from Toon Boom Animation and Silicon Graphics .   Theatrically released on December 18 , 1998 , and on home video on September 14 , 1999 , reviews were generally positive , with critics praising the animation , music , and voice work . The film went on to gross over $ 218 million worldwide in theaters , which made it the most successful non-Disney animated feature at the time . The film 's success led to the direct-to-video prequel Joseph : King of Dreams -LRB- 2000 -RRB- and the development of a stage adaptation . The song `` When You Believe '' became a commercially successful single in a pop version performed by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey , and went on to win Best Original Song at the 1999 Academy Awards .