What is the title of the 2008 direct-to-video prequel to Disney’s The Little Mermaid?
Answer
The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning
The 2008 direct-to-video prequel is titled The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning.
The film is set before the events of Disney’s 1989 animated The Little Mermaid. It follows Ariel as she discovers why music has been forbidden in Atlantica and explores the family history behind King Triton’s rule. The story introduces Queen Athena, Ariel’s mother, who is absent from the original feature.
Ariel’s Beginning was produced as a prequel rather than a sequel. This distinguishes it from The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, the 2000 follow-up about Ariel and Eric’s daughter, Melody. Confusing those two titles is common because both are animated home-video releases connected to the same franchise.