Disney’s 1989 animated film was developed and released under the title The Little Mermaid. Unlike some Disney productions that changed names during development, the film’s title directly identifies its source material and central character.
The movie is based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale “The Little Mermaid,” but Disney transformed the tragic original into a musical romantic fantasy with a happier conclusion. The title was therefore retained while the plot, supporting characters, and tone were substantially reworked.
The film became a major turning point for Walt Disney Feature Animation. Its success helped launch the Disney Renaissance, the studio’s highly successful period of animated musical features that followed in the late 1980s and 1990s.
The title should not be confused with The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning, or the 2023 live-action adaptation. Those are separate productions with different release histories.