Disney’s The Little Mermaid was released in 1989.
The animated feature opened theatrically in the United States on November 17, 1989. It was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, with songs by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman.
The film is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale. Its release became a turning point for Disney after several less successful animated features. The Little Mermaid’s critical and commercial performance helped revive the company’s feature-animation business and is widely regarded as the beginning of the Disney Renaissance.
The year is sometimes confused with 1991 because Beauty and the Beast followed it two years later and became another defining Renaissance success. The Little Mermaid also received a theatrical re-release in 1997, but that later date does not replace its original 1989 release year. Its legacy includes Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Best Original Score.