The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Pictures. The 28th Disney animated feature film, it is loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The film tells the story of a mermaid Princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric, which leads her to make a magic deal with an evil sea witch to become human and be with him. Written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman (who also served as co-producer alongside John Musker), and art direction by Michael Peraza Jr.
Introduction
The Little Mermaid (1989 film)
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Introduction
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what is the crew celebrating in the beginning of the little mermaid
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Prince Eric's birthday.
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what is the genre of the film?
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An animated musical fantasy.
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what is the plot about?
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The film tells the story of a mermaid Princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric.
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who produced it?
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The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Pictures. The 28th Disney animated feature film, it is loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The film tells the story of a mermaid Princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric, which leads her to make a magic deal with an evil sea witch to become human and be with him. Written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman (who also served as co-producer alongside John Musker), and art direction by Michael Peraza Jr.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Introduction
The Disney company's "The Little Mermaid" is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy romance film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the original tale, the 1989 Disney film tells the story of a mermaid princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human; after falling in love with a human prince named Eric. Written, produced, and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with music by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (who also served as a co-producer), the film features the voices of Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, and Pat Carroll among others. "The Little Mermaid" was originally planned as part of one of Walt Disney's earliest feature films, a proposed package film featuring vignettes of Hans Christian Andersen tales.
The Little Mermaid | Disney's animated film
Eric recognizes the song immediately, and the incognito Ursula casts an enchantment on Eric, which causes him to forget Ariel.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Plot
The angry king confronts Ariel, uncovers her grotto, and destroys her beloved collection. After Triton leaves, two eels named Flotsam and Jetsam convince the devastated young princess to visit Ursula, the evil sea witch. Ursula makes a deal with Ariel to transform her form into a human for three days in exchange for Ariel's voice, which Ursula puts in a nautilus shell she keeps around her neck. Within these three days, Ariel must cause the prince to fall in love with her and give her the "kiss of true love." If Ariel gets Eric to kiss her, she will remain human permanently.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Plot
Katzenberg passed the project over, because at that time the studio was in development on a sequel to their live-action mermaid comedy "Splash" (1984) and felt "The Little Mermaid" would be too similar a project. The next day, however, Katzenberg approved of the idea for possible development, along with "Oliver & Company". While in production in the 1980s, the staff found, by chance, original story and visual development work done by Kay Nielsen for Disney's proposed 1930s Andersen feature. Many of the changes made by the staff in the 1930s to Hans Christian Andersen's original story was coincidentally the same as the changes made by Disney writers in the 1980s.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Development of Story
Ariel falls in love with the prince instantly. Soon a violent storm arrives, wrecking the ship. Ariel rescues Eric from drowning and brings him to shore. She sings to him but returns to the sea just as he regains consciousness to avoid being discovered. Fascinated by the memory of her mesmerizing voice, Eric vows to find and marry the girl who saved his life, and Ariel vows to find a way to join him as a human being. Noticing a sudden change in Ariel's behavior, Triton questions Sebastian, who accidentally exposes that Ariel has come in contact with humans and fallen in love with Prince Eric.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Plot
These performances once again combined a screening of the film with live renditions of the film's songs, this time starring Lea Michele as Ariel, Harvey Fierstein as Ursula, Cheech Marin as Chef Louis, Ken Page as Sebastian, Peter Gallagher as King Triton, Leo Gallo as Prince Eric, and an uncredited actor as Scuttle. This presentation utilized the same four songs written for the stage adaptation.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Live presentations
While in production in the 1980s, the staff found by chance original story and visual development work done by Kay Nielsen for Disney's proposed 1930s Andersen feature. Many of the changes made by the staff in the 1930s to Hans Christian Andersen's original story were coincidentally the same as the changes made by Disney writers in the 1980s.
The Little Mermaid | Disney's animated film
After the success of the 1989 movie, The Walt Disney Company planned to produce a children's television series for its Disney Channel cable outlet called "The Little Mermaid's Island". The proposed series would feature puppets from Jim Henson's Creature Shop interacting with a "live" Ariel. As the video release of "The Little Mermaid" soared in sales during 1990 and early 1991, Disney quietly dropped plans for "The Little Mermaid's Island" in favor of a more ambitious plan: an animated weekly series for the CBS network. The new show would concern the adventures of Ariel and her friends before the events in the movie.
The Little Mermaid (TV series) | Production and development
The musical on Broadway opened to mixed reviews. The original Broadway cast featured Sierra Boggess as Ariel, Norm Lewis as King Triton, Sherie Rene Scott as Ursula, Eddie Korbich as Scuttle, Sean Palmer as Prince Eric, Brian D'Addario and Major Curda as Flounder, and Tituss Burgess as Sebastian. The musical closed on August 30, 2009 after 685 performances and 50 previews. In 2012, a Dutch production premiered.
Disney Theatrical Productions | "The Little Mermaid" (1989)
"The Little Mermaid" is the original film of the franchise. It was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, and was released to theaters on November 17, 1989 by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, and produced by Musker and Howard Ashman. The film was a critical and commercial success. "The Little Mermaid" is the 28th Disney animated feature film and belongs to an era known as the Disney Renaissance. It is based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale of the same name.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | "The Little Mermaid"
Controversy arose regarding the artwork for the film's original VHS release when consumers noticed an oddly shaped structure on the castle, closely resembling a human penis. Disney and the cover designer insist it was an accident, resulting from a late night rush job to finish the cover artwork. The object does not appear on the cover of the second release of the movie. Another allegation is that the clergyman presiding over the wedding between Eric and Ursula (the latter disguised as Vanessa) is seen to have an erection. The object in question is actually the short, stubby-legged man's knee. The combined incidents led an Arkansas woman to file suit against The Walt Disney Company in 1995, though she dropped the suit two months later.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Controversy
Various actors auditioned for additional roles in the film, including Jim Carrey for the role of Prince Eric, and comedians Bill Maher and Michael Richards for the role of Scuttle.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Animation
Ariel is a 16-year-old mermaid princess unsatisfied with underwater life in the underwater kingdom of Atlantica. She is fascinated by the human world, wanting desperately to become a human and live on the land. With her best friend Flounder, Ariel collects and keeps random human artifacts in her grotto and consults a seagull named Scuttle for inaccurate knowledge about human culture and the items she finds. Ariel's father, King Triton, and a crab who serves as his advisor/court composer named Sebastian, constantly warn her against humans and tell her that contact between merpeople and humans is forbidden. One night, Ariel, Flounder, and an unwilling Sebastian travel to the ocean surface to watch a celebration for Prince Eric's birthday on a ship.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Plot
The film's working title was "The Little Mermaid III", and it was originally scheduled for a mid-2007 release. When John Lasseter took over Disney Animation, more resources were spent on completing "", and attention only returned to this film in July 2006 after the wrap up of "Cinderella III". A teaser trailer and musical preview of the film (an alternate version of "Jump in the Line") were attached to the Platinum Edition DVD of "The Little Mermaid", which was released in October 2006. At the time, the working title "The Little Mermaid III" was still being used. Like "", this film uses digital ink and paint with the use of the Toon Boom Harmony software.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning | Production
"The Little Mermaid" was originally planned as part of one of Walt Disney's earliest feature films, a proposed package film featuring vignettes of Hans Christian Andersen tales. Development started soon after "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in the late 1930s, but was delayed due to various circumstances. In 1985, Ron Clements became interested in a film adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" while he was serving as a director on "The Great Mouse Detective" (1986) alongside John Musker. Clements discovered the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale while browsing through a bookstore. Believing the story provided an "ideal basis" for an animated feature film and keen on creating a film that took place underwater, Clements wrote and presented a two-page treatment of "The Little Mermaid" Walt Disney Studios to chief Jeffrey Katzenberg at a "gong show" idea suggestion meeting.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Development of Story
If she fails, Ariel will become a miserable polyp and belong to Ursula. Ariel accepts and is then given human legs and taken to the surface by Flounder and Sebastian. Eric finds Ariel alone on the beach and takes her to his castle, but is still unaware that she is the one who saved him before due to her muteness. Ariel spends time with Eric, and at the end of the second day, they almost kiss but are thwarted by Flotsam and Jetsam. That night, to ensure Ariel's failure, Ursula disguises herself as a beautiful young woman named Vanessa and appears on the shore in front of Eric's castle, singing with Ariel's voice.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Plot
More money and resources were dedicated to "The Little Mermaid" than any other Disney animated film in decades. Aside from its main animation facility in Glendale, California, Disney opened a satellite feature animation facility during the production of "The Little Mermaid" in Lake Buena Vista, Florida (near Orlando, Florida), within Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park at Walt Disney World. Opening in 1989, the Disney-MGM facility's first projects were to produce an entire Roger Rabbit cartoon short, "Roller Coaster Rabbit", and to contribute ink and paint support to "The Little Mermaid". Another first for recent years was the filming of live actors and actresses for motion reference material for the animators, a practice used frequently for many of the Disney animated features produced under Walt Disney's supervision.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Animation
That year Clements and Musker expanded the two-page idea into a 20-page rough script, eliminating the role of the mermaid's grandmother and expanding the roles of the Merman King and the sea witch. However, the film's plans were momentarily shelved as Disney focused its attention on "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "Oliver & Company" as more immediate releases. In 1987, songwriter Howard Ashman became involved with the writing and development of "The Little Mermaid" after he was asked to contribute a song to "Oliver & Company". He proposed changing the minor character Clarence, the English-butler crab, to a Jamaican crab and shifting the music style throughout the film to reflect this.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Development of Story
At the same time, Katzenberg, Clements, Musker, and Ashman revised the story format to make "The Little Mermaid" a musical with a Broadway-style story structure, with the song sequences serving as the tentpoles of the film. Ashman and composer Alan Menken, both noted for their work as the writers of the successful Off-Broadway stage musical "Little Shop of Horrors", teamed up to compose the entire song score. In 1988, with "Oliver & Company" out of the way, "The Little Mermaid" was slated as the next major Disney release.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Development of Story
Auli'i Cravalho, Queen Latifah and Shaggy starred as Ariel, Ursula and Sebastian, respectively. Other cast members included John Stamos as Chef Louis and Graham Phillips as Prince Eric. The special featured performances of songs from the film and its Broadway adaptations in a themed "dive-in theater" setting at the Disney lot, accompanied by the film itself. It was produced by Done and Dusted, with director-executive producer Hamish Hamilton and executive producer Richard Kraft (who had also worked on the aforementioned concerts). Amber Riley portrayed Emcee, the lead singer of the song "Daughters of Triton". Jodi Benson introduced the special. In addition to marking the film's anniversary, the special was also used as a pre-launch promotional push for the new Disney+ streaming service, which was launched on November 12, 2019.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | "The Little Mermaid Live!"
Deciding that she is ready to see the world above, she and Fritz sneak away to the surface with the help of Fritz's uncle, Duke the Whale. There, she sees the handsome young prince on a ship.
Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (1975 film) | Plot
Early in the production of "The Little Mermaid", Jeffrey Katzenberg cautioned Clements, Musker, and their staff, telling them that since "The Little Mermaid" was a "girl's film", it would make less money at the box office than "Oliver & Company", which had been Disney's biggest animated box office success in a decade. However, by the time the film was closer to completion, Katzenberg was convinced "The Little Mermaid" would be a hit and the first animated feature to earn more than $100 million in its initial run and become a "blockbuster" film. During its original 1989 theatrical release, "The Little Mermaid" earned $84.4 million at the North American box office, falling short of Katzenberg's expectations but earning 64% more than "Oliver & Company" and becoming the animated film with the highest gross from its initial run.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Box office
and Donald A. Towns, the film features the voices of Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, Buddy Hackett, and René Auberjonois. "The Little Mermaid" was released to theaters on November 17, 1989 to critical acclaim, earning praise for the animation, music, and plot. It was also a commercial success, garnering $84 million at the domestic box office during its initial release, and in total lifetime gross worldwide. After the success of the 1986 Disney animated film "The Great Mouse Detective" and the 1988 Disney/Amblin live-action/animated film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", "The Little Mermaid" is given credit for breathing life back into the art of Disney animated feature films after a string of critical or commercial failures produced by Disney that dated back to the early 1970s.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Introduction
A Hebrew production ran in Tel Aviv and other cities in Israel during the 2010/2011 season, directed by Moshe Kaftan and starring Rinat Gabai as Ariel and Guy Zu-Aretz as Prince Eric.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Israel (2010-2011)
In May 2016, "Deadline Hollywood" reported that Disney was in early development for a live-action adaptation of the film. In August 2016, it was announced that Alan Menken would return as the film's composer and write new songs alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, who will also co-produce the film with Marc Platt. Studio veterans Lindsay Lohan and Chris Evans expressed interest in starring in the adaptation.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Live-action film adaptation
One error occurred with the photographer improperly taking pictures of the mermaid. The developed photographs of the mermaid were also impossible given the distances involved. A more minor error in the operation of the hotel was given by the office boy who handled the arriving guests with remarkable speed. Despite these errors, the company was at the forefront of the Independent producers and given great praise by Frank E. Woods of the American Biograph Company in "The New York Dramatic Mirror".
The Mermaid (1910 film) | Production
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (also known as the working title, The Little Mermaid III) is a 2008 American animated direct-to-video fantasy film produced by DisneyToon Studios, and a prequel to Disney's 1989 animated film "The Little Mermaid" and the third and final installment in "The Little Mermaid" trilogy and the first in the chronology of the story running through the series. Directed by Peggy Holmes, the film's story is set before the events of the original film, when Ariel is still young, and where all music has been banned from the underwater kingdom of Atlantica by King Triton after being heartbroken at his wife's death, and Ariel attempts to challenge this law.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning | Introduction
The film was put into production hurriedly in order to beat "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" to the screen. The end credits include the line "Tail by Dunlop". All underwater scenes were shot with a stunt double. Joan Hebden wore the tail by Dunlop. The initial director was Michael Chorlton. He was replaced during filming by Ken Annakin.
Miranda (1948 film) | Production
The film was theatrically reissued on November 14, 1997, on the same day as "Anastasia", a Don Bluth animated feature for Fox Animation Studios. The reissue brought $27.2 million in additional gross. The film also drew in box office earnings outside the United States and Canada between both releases, resulting in a total international box office figure of .
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Box office
The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea is a 2000 animated direct-to-video musical adventure film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, and the second installment in "The Little Mermaid" film series. Directed by Jim Kammerud and Brian Smith, the story of the film takes place 12 years after the original, and focuses on Ariel and Eric's daughter Melody, a human princess who longs to swim in the ocean despite her parents' law that the sea is forbidden to her. Many voice actors from the original film returned for the sequel, including Jodi Benson as Ariel, Kenneth Mars as King Triton, Samuel E.
The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea | Introduction
After the success of Walt Disney Animation Studios' "The Little Mermaid" in 1989 Warner Bros. began to seek out animated films to distribute, which led to them releasing "The Nutcracker Prince" and "Rover Dangerfield", in 1990 and 1991, respectively. But it wasn't until the success of Disney's "The Lion King", and all Hollywood studios began looking at getting into the animation field that the company began to develop animated feature films internally. In 1991 Morgan Creek Entertainment began a production and distribution deal with Warner Bros. In 1993 the company established Warner Bros. Feature Animation led by Max Howard to produce their own animated films while still distributing third party animated films.
The King and I (1999 film) | Development
The Little Mermaid is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation based on the 1989 Disney film of the same name. It features the adventures of Ariel as a mermaid prior to the events of the film. This series is the first Disney television series to be spun off from a major animated film. Some of the voice actors of the film reprise their roles in the series, among them Jodi Benson as Ariel, Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian, Kenneth Mars as King Triton and Pat Carroll as Ursula. Other voice actors include Edan Gross and Bradley Pierce as Flounder, and Jeff Bennett as Prince Eric.
The Little Mermaid (TV series) | Introduction
Disney had been developing "The Little Mermaid" since the 1930s, and by 1988, after the success of "Roger Rabbit", the studio had decided to make it into an animated musical, much like many of its previous animated movies, but with a more Broadway feel to it. Lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken, who worked on Broadway years earlier on productions such as "Little Shop of Horrors", became involved in the production, writing and composing the songs and score for the film. Released on November 14, 1989, "The Little Mermaid" was a critical and commercial success and garnered a higher weekend gross than Bluth's "All Dogs Go to Heaven", which opened the same weekend, eventually breaking "The Land Before Time"s record of highest-grossing animated film.
Disney Renaissance | 1989: "The Little Mermaid"
Atlantis Productions staged its own version on the show at the Meralco Theater in Manila, where it ran from November 18, 2011 to December 11, 2011, with Rachelle Ann Go as Ariel and Erik Santos as Prince Eric. The production incorporated Asian elements into its costume design by Eric Pineda. A majority of the cast members played as puppeteer-actors, who controlled "wayang" or shadow puppets, "bunraku" or traditional Japanese puppets, and "nang kaloung" or Cambodian puppets during certain parts of the show.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Philippines (2011)
The Little Mermaid Jr. is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical, based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find love. Its book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman (written for the film), with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater. Its underwater setting and story about aquatic characters requires unusual technical designs and strategies to create gliding movements for the actors.
The Little Mermaid Jr. | Introduction
Disney Theatrical had success with stage adaptations of its animated musical films "Beauty and the Beast" in 1994 and "The Lion King" in 1997. Thomas Schumacher, head of Disney Theatrical, proposed another adaptation, this time of the 1989 film "The Little Mermaid", approaching songwriter Alan Menken, who had composed the music for the film, to be part of the production team. Schumacher initially brought on director/choreographer Matthew Bourne to helm the musical, but Bourne left when their visions on the project differed. Schumacher then approached Francesca Zambello, telling her that "We haven't found a way to do the water". Zambello's experience with the fantasy elements of opera made her open to the project, and the decision was made that there would be no water, wires or flying in the production.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Development
Producers Rozema and Alexandra Raffé had never directed or produced a feature film prior to their work on "Mermaids", although they worked together on a previous short film.
I've Heard the Mermaids Singing | Production
In adapting the film into a live stage musical, the following significant changes are made: The shark chase sequence that introduced Ariel and Flounder early in the film has been replaced by a new introductory song for Ariel in which she admires a fork from "The World Above". Other new songs are "Human Stuff","One Step Closer",and "The Contest", and some songs from the film are extended, such as "Fathoms Below". "Under the Sea" is the same as the film version, but in the film it was performed while Sebastian is trying to stop Ariel from daydreaming about Eric; in the musical it occurs later, after King Triton destroys Ariel's collection of human things.
The Little Mermaid Jr. | Changes from the 1989 film
"Part of Your World", which was referred to by songwriter Howard Ashman as the "I Want" song, was originally going to be cut from the final film, owing to Jeffrey Katzenberg's belief that it slowed the story down, but Ashman and Keane fought to keep it in. Ariel's original design was developed by animator Glen Keane. Her appearance was based on a number of inspirational sources, Alyssa Milano (who was 16 at the time in addition to hosting the making of the special on Disney Channel,) and model-comedian Sherri Stoner, who provided live-action references for the animators during the development of the film.
Ariel (The Little Mermaid) | Development
This 26-episode TV series was originally created by Jean Chalopin and directed by Takehiro Miyano. The series was broadcast on Japan's Fuji TV network from February to July 1991. As in the 1975 feature-length film version produced by Toei, "Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid" (with which this series may be confused), the mermaid protagonist was drawn as a blonde in this version and given the name Marina. It also added a new ingredient to the story: a magic potion given to the prince which he could use to breathe underwater and be with Marina. 26 episodes were produced. Released in America for Saturday morning and weekday afternoon syndication by Saban Entertainment in the summer of 1991, intended to capitalize on the success of the Disney film adaptation of the same story.
Adventures of the Little Mermaid | Introduction
Producers initially engaged Swedish director Lasse Hallström to direct "Mermaids" as his American feature debut, but he left the project to direct "Once Around" (1991). They subsequently hired Frank Oz as a replacement, but he also abandoned the project after clashing with actresses Cher and Winona Ryder. Ultimately, they hired Richard Benjamin to direct the project. Producer Patrick Palmer commented that both Hallström and Oz had envisioned a darker tone for the film, and that at one point, Hallström's version of the film included Charlotte committing suicide.
Mermaids (1990 film) | Development
The musical began Broadway previews on November 3, 2007 and opened on January 10, 2008 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, even through trouble due to the Local One stagehands strike, which ended on November 28, 2007. The world premiere took place at The Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Center of the Performing Arts in Denver, Colorado. The show features every song from the movie, as well as nine new songs written by Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater. The book was written by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright Doug Wright, with direction by Francesca Zambello, choreography by Stephen Mear, scenic design by George Tsypin, costume design by Tatiana Noginova and lighting design by Natasha Katz.
Disney Theatrical Productions | "The Little Mermaid" (1989)
The Little Mermaid () is a 1976 Soviet fantasy film directed by Vladimir Bychkov based on the 1837 fairy tale of "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen.
The Little Mermaid (1976 Russian film) | Introduction
Keane, however, was assigned as one of the two lead artists on the petite Ariel and oversaw the "Part of Your World" musical number. He jokingly stated that his wife looks exactly like Ariel "without the fins." The character's body type and personality were based upon that of Alyssa Milano, then starring on TV's "Who's the Boss?" and the effect of her hair underwater was based on both footage of Sally Ride when she was in space, and scenes of Stoner in a pool for guidance in animating Ariel's swimming. The design of the villainous Ursula was based upon drag performer Divine.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Animation
It also marked the start of the era known as the Disney Renaissance. The film won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song ("Under the Sea"). The film's success lead to a stage adaptation with a book by Doug Wright and additional songs by Alan Menken and new lyricist Glenn Slater opened in Denver in July 2007 and began performances on Broadway January 10, 2008 starring Sierra Boggess. Other derived works and material inspired by the movie, include a live-action film adaptation, directed by Rob Marshall, currently in production, and a 2019 live musical presentation of the film airing on ABC as part of "The Wonderful World of Disney".
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Introduction
The Little Mermaid () is a 1968 Soviet animated film based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale "The Little Mermaid".
The Little Mermaid (1968 film) | Introduction
The four additional songs written for the stage adaptation were also incorporated into the presentation, accompanied by scenes of the film's original concept art. During the third and final performance, Jodi Benson replaced Bareilles to reprise her original role as Ariel, while Brad Kane (the singing voice of the title character of "Aladdin") and Susan Egan (who played Belle in the stage adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast") also made special appearances, singing songs from their respective films, and a duet of "A Whole New World". From May 17–18, 2019, the Hollywood Bowl hosted another live presentation, titled "The Little Mermaid: An Immersive Live-to Film Concert Experience".
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Live presentations
Producer Wayne Young said his passion for the environment was his motivation for making the film, saying the film was "blatantly environmental, although we have gone to a lot of trouble to avoid preaching. We also want it to be viewed as entertainment." The inspiration for "FernGully" came from stories written by his former wife, Diana Young. Diana first wrote the story of "FernGully" 15 years before the film's release. Wayne said the couple planned a film adaptation for five years, then spent "seven years of dreaming and hustling, followed by another three years of production". Wayne stated their dream was not possible until the success of Walt Disney Feature Animation's 1989 film "The Little Mermaid", which brought popularity back to animation.
FernGully: The Last Rainforest | Production
Sherri Lynn Stoner, a former member of Los Angeles' Groundlings improvisation comedy group, and Joshua Finkel, a Broadway actor, performed key scenes as Ariel and Eric respectively. Jodi Benson had already been cast as Ariel's voice actor by this time, and her recorded dialogue was used as playback to guide these live-action references. Before Benson was cast, Melissa Fahn was considered for the part. "The Little Mermaid" supervising animators included Glen Keane and Mark Henn on Ariel, Duncan Marjoribanks on Sebastian, Andreas Deja on King Triton, and Ruben Aquino on Ursula. Originally, Keane had been asked to work on Ursula, as he had established a reputation for drawing large, powerful figures, such as the bear in "The Fox and the Hound" (1981) and Professor Ratigan in "The Great Mouse Detective" (1986).
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Animation
The Wonderful World of Disney Presents The Little Mermaid Live!, or simply The Little Mermaid Live! is a musical television special created for ABC, based on the 1989 film "The Little Mermaid". It is produced by Done and Dusted and directed by Hamish Hamilton, who also executive produced alongside Katy Mullan, David Jammy, Raj Kapoor, Ian Stewart, and Richard Kraft, with the original voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson, introducing the special. Aulii Cravalho stars as Princess Ariel, alongside Queen Latifah, Shaggy, John Stamos, Amber Riley and Graham Phillips. The hybrid format special was performed in front of a live audience on the Disney lot, where the film was projected on a giant projection surface and interwoven with live musical performances of songs from the film and the Broadway stage version.
The Little Mermaid Live! | Introduction
The production staged at the California Musical Theatre (Sacramento), directed by Glen Casale, is notable for having been performed in the round. The Canadian premiere opened on August 13, 2014 and ran until August 29th, 2014 at Rainbow Stage, Winnipeg, MB. Colleen Furlan starred as Ariel along with Marc Devigne as Prince Eric and Jennifer Lyon as Ursula. The production was directed by Ann Hodges, choreographed by Linda Garneau and the music director was Elizabeth Baird. The costumes used were made for this original cast by Kansas City Costumes. Another Canadian production opened on November 19, 2014, at the Dunfield Theatre in Cambridge, Ontario, where it ran until December 21, 2014.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Regional US and Canada productions
During the 1970s and 1980s, Walt Disney Feature Animation struggled to release animated feature films that achieved the levels of success of some of the studio's earlier productions did. In 1989, Walt Disney Pictures released "The Little Mermaid. "An animated musical that features songs written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken, "The Little Mermaid" was both a tremendous critical and commercial success. Hoping to release a film that achieved similar success, the studio decided to adapt the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont into an animated film. Prior to getting professionally involved with Disney, Ashman and Menken had collaborated on a musical adaptation of "Little Shop of Horrors" and its subsequent musical film adaptation.
Beauty and the Beast (1991 soundtrack) | Background
Jamie Mitchell, an artist and graphic designer who worked on "Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears", was named the producer and director of the new series. Patsy Cameron and Tedd Anasti were the story editors and wrote almost all of the episodes for the show's second and third seasons. Their previous joint work included Hanna-Barbera's "The Smurfs", the animated "Beetlejuice" and Disney's "DuckTales". Some of the artists and technicians on the feature film also contributed to the TV series. Mark Dindal, chief of special animated effects for the movie, was a consultant for special effects on the TV show. Robby Merkin, who worked with Alan Menken and Howard Ashman on arranging the songs for the movie, worked as the arranger and music producer for the first season of the TV show.
The Little Mermaid (TV series) | Production and development
Keane pushed for the song to remain until the film was in a more finalized state. During a second test screening, the scene, now colorized and further developed, tested well with a separate child audience, and the musical number was kept.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Music
The Little Mermaid is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical, based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic 1837 story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find true love. Its book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman (written for the film), with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater. Its underwater setting and story about aquatic characters requires unusual technical designs and strategies to create gliding movements for the actors.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Introduction
Eisner and Katzenberg passed the project over, because at that time the studio was in development on a sequel to their live-action mermaid comedy "Splash" (1984) and felt "The Little Mermaid" would be too similar a project. The next day, however, Walt Disney Studios chairman Katzenberg greenlit the idea for possible development. While in production in the 1980s, the staff found, by chance, original story and visual development work done by Kay Nielsen for Disney's proposed 1930s Anderson feature. Many of the changes made by the staff in the 1930s to Hans Christian Andersen's original story were coincidentally the same as the changes made by Disney writers in the 1980s.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | History
The little mermaid heads toward the surface and sees the now-unconscious prince in the water. She carries him to the shore, where she sings a sweet mermaid song for him. Then a bell tolls from a nearby convent and several women come out. The little mermaid jumps into the sea, waiting to see what becomes of the prince. One of the ladies finds the prince and helps him to the convent.
The Little Mermaid (1968 film) | Plot
In June 2016, Disney held special presentations of the film at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, titled "The Little Mermaid in Concert". The performances combined a screening of "The Little Mermaid" with live accompaniment by guest musicians and celebrities, including Sara Bareilles (who performed as Ariel), Tituss Burgess (who performed as Sebastian as a reprisal of his role in the stage adaptation), Darren Criss (who performed as Prince Eric), Rebel Wilson (who performed as Ursula), Joshua Colley (who performed as Flounder), John Stamos (who performed as Chef Louis) and Norm Lewis (who performed as King Triton as a reprisal of his role in the stage adaptation).
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Live presentations
In some later productions, however, the song is sung to try to stop Ariel from thinking about Eric like in the film. In the musical, the storm at sea sequence is simplified, and Eric merely falls overboard; his sheepdog, Max, is not included, and there is no gunpowder explosion. Ursula's alter ego, Vanessa, is also not included, thereby omitting the subplot of Eric's brainwashing, leading to "The Contest". In the film, Flotsam and Jetsam are killed when Ursula accidentally zaps them with the trident; in the musical they swim away after Ariel takes Ursula's nautilus shell.
The Little Mermaid Jr. | Changes from the 1989 film
Mermaids is a 1990 American family comedy-drama film directed by Richard Benjamin, and starring Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder, Michael Schoeffling, and Christina Ricci in her film debut. Set in the early 1960s, its plot follows a neurotic teenage girl who moves with her wayward mother and young sister to a small town in Massachusetts. It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Patty Dann. Originally planned as the American debut of Swedish director Lasse Hallström, the film was ultimately directed by Benjamin after both Hallström and Frank Oz abandoned the project. Filming of "Mermaids" took place in various locations in Massachusetts in the fall of 1989.
Mermaids (1990 film) | Introduction
Ariel is a fully realized female character who thinks and acts independently, even rebelliously, instead of hanging around passively while the fates decide her destiny." The staff of "TV Guide" wrote a positive review, praising the film's return to the traditional Disney musical as well as the film's animation. Yet they also wrote that the film is detracted from by the juvenile humor and the human characters' eyes. While still giving a positive review, they stated that the film "can't compare to the real Disney classics (which appealed equally to both kids and adults)." The staff of "Variety" praised the film for its cast of characters, Ursula in particular, as well as its animation, stating that the animation "proves lush and fluid, augmented by the use of shadow and light as elements like fire, sun and water illuminate the characters." They also praised the musical collaboration between Howard Ashman and Alan Menken "whose songs frequently begin slowly but build in cleverness and intensity." Todd Gilchrist of IGN wrote a positive review of the film, stating that the film is "an almost perfect achievement." Gilchrist also praised how the film revived interest in animation as it was released at a time when interest in animation was at a lull.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Critical reception
Upon seeing the initial storyboard reels in 1989, Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg ordered that the film be scrapped and started over from scratch. A few months after starting anew, Purdum resigned as director. The studio had approached John Musker and Ron Clements to direct the film, but they turned down the offer, saying they were "tired" after just having finished directing Disney's recent success "The Little Mermaid". Disney then hired first-time feature directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale. Wise and Trousdale had previously directed the animated sections of "Cranium Command", a short film for a Disney EPCOT theme park attraction.
Beauty and the Beast (1991 film) | Script rewrite and musicalization
"The Little Mermaid" was considered by some as "the film that brought Broadway into cartoons". Alan Menken wrote the Oscar-winning score, and collaborated with Howard Ashman on the songs. One of the film's most prominent songs, "Part of Your World", was nearly cut from the film when it seemingly tested poorly with an audience of school children, who became rowdy during the scene. This caused Jeffrey Katzenberg to feel that the song needed to be cut, an idea that was resisted by Musker, Clements, and Keane. Both Musker and Clements cited the similar situation of the song "Over the Rainbow" nearly being cut from 1939's "The Wizard of Oz" when it was appealing to Katzenberg.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Music
Ursula is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Walt Disney Pictures' 28th animated feature film "The Little Mermaid" (1989). Voiced by American actress Pat Carroll, Ursula is a villainous sea witch who offers a mermaid princess named Ariel a temporary opportunity to become human so that she may earn the love of Prince Eric within three days. However, Ursula is, in fact, determined to sabotage Ariel's chances so that she can ultimately replace King Triton as ruler over the oceans. Created by directors and screenwriters Ron Clements and John Musker, Ursula is based on the sea witch character who appears in the 1837 fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen.
Ursula (The Little Mermaid) | Introduction
In adapting the film into a live stage musical, the following significant changes are made: Music by Alan Menken and All Lyrics by Glenn Slater, except as noted:
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Changes from the 1989 film
The film was built around a score from Broadway songwriters Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, who was also a co-producer and story consultant on the film. "The Little Mermaid" won two Academy Awards, for Best Original Song and for Best Original Score. "The Little Mermaid" vigorously relaunched a profound new interest in the animation and musical film genres. The film was also the first to feature the use of Disney's Computer Animation Production System (CAPS). Developed for Disney by Pixar, which had grown into a commercial computer animation and technology development company, CAPS/ink & paint would become significant in allowing future Disney films to more seamlessly integrate computer-generated imagery and achieve higher production values with digital ink and paint and compositing techniques.
Walt Disney Animation Studios | 1989–1994: Beginning of the Disney Renaissance, successful releases, impact on the animation industry
The home video release, along with box office and merchandise sales, contributed to "The Little Mermaid" generating a total revenue of . This success led to future Disney films being released on home video soon after the end of their theatrical runs, rather than delayed for several years. Following "The Little Mermaid"s 1997 re-release in theaters, a new VHS version was released in March 1998 as part of the Masterpiece Collection and included a bonus music video of Jodi Benson singing "Part of Your World" during the end credits, replacing "Under the Sea" as the end credits song. The VHS sold 13 million units and ranked as the third best-selling video of the year.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Home media
Ursula then uses the trident to expand into monstrous proportions and attempts to kill Ariel and Eric, but Eric manages to impale Ursula with the splintered bowsprit of a wrecked ship, and she dies. With Ursula defeated, her power's cease, the merpeople turn back to normal, Triton's power is restored, and Ariel marries Eric once she is permanently transformed into a human.
Ursula (The Little Mermaid) | "The Little Mermaid" (1989)
The film was originally titled "A Little Mermaid". Filming took place in Savannah, Georgia, in 2016.
The Little Mermaid (2018 film) | Production
Rozema was the film's editor, performing that work from the end of 1986 through the beginning of 1987. The National Film Board of Canada allowed her to use their editing studios free of charge. Later, the NFB offered to pay for the consulting services of professional editor Ron Sanders, which Rozema readily accepted. In the director's commentary, Rozema said that because the film had such a small budget, she didn't have the luxury of multiple takes of many scenes. Most of the filmed footage was included in the final version of the film. By mid-January 1987, Rozema had a rough cut version of the film ready to show to the funding agencies.
I've Heard the Mermaids Singing | Post-production
The writer of the scenario is unknown, but it was most likely Lloyd Lonergan. He was an experienced newspaperman employed by "The New York Evening World" while writing scripts for the Thanhouser productions. The film director is unknown, but it may have been Barry O'Neil. Film historian Q. David Bowers does not attribute a cameraman for this production, but at least two possible candidates exist. Blair Smith was the first cameraman of the Thanhouser company, but he was soon joined by Carl Louis Gregory who had years of experience as a still and motion picture photographer. The role of the cameraman was uncredited in 1910 productions.
The Mermaid (1910 film) | Production
"The Little Mermaid" was released in a "bare-bones" limited issue DVD in 1999, with a standard video transfer. The film was re-released on DVD on October 3, 2006, as part of the Walt Disney Platinum Editions line of classic Walt Disney animated features, including the song "Kiss the Girl" performed by Ashley Tisdale. Deleted scenes and several in-depth documentaries were included, as well as an Academy Award-nominated short film intended for the shelved "Fantasia 2006", "The Little Matchgirl". The DVD sold 1.6 million units on its first day of release, and over 4 million units during its first week, making it the biggest animated DVD debut for October.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Home media
AMC Theatres screened the movie from September 6–12, 2019. The film was also screened out of competition at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Release
In a then-atypical and controversial move for a new Disney animated film, "The Little Mermaid" was released as part of the Walt Disney Classics line of VHS, Laserdisc, Betamax, and Video 8 home video releases in May 1990, six months after the release of the film. Before "The Little Mermaid", only a select number of Disney's catalog animated films had been released to home video, as the company was afraid of upsetting its profitable practice of theatrically reissuing each film every few years. "The Little Mermaid" became that year's top-selling title on home video, with over 10 million units sold (including 7 million in its first month).
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Home media
The Japanese version can be viewed on several media websites, including Yahoo! Japan, but IP addresses not based in Japan are blocked from viewing it.
Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (1975 film) | Internet release
Development started in the late 1930s but was delayed due to various circumstances. In 1985, Ron Clements became interested in a film adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" while he was serving as a director on "The Great Mouse Detective" (1986). Clements discovered the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale while browsing through a bookstore. Believing the story provided an "ideal basis" for an animated feature film and keen on creating a film that took place underwater, Clements wrote and presented a two-page treatment of "Mermaid" to Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, who approved of the idea for possible development the next day.
The Little Mermaid | Disney's animated film
In the international productions "Daughters of Triton" is the opening number of the musical, and it leads into Ariel's introduction "The World Above", followed by Eric's introduction "Fathoms Below". In the regional US productions Ariel sings "The World Above" as the show's opening number and there is another reprise of "If Only" in which King Triton laments over the loss of his wife.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Reinvented version
However, Ursula is determined to sabotage Ariel's and Eric's budding romance at any cost; when she realizes that Ariel and Eric are falling in love, Ursula transforms herself into a beautiful young woman named "Vanessa" and hypnotizes Eric, tricking him into agreeing to marry her instead. Ariel manages to thwart Ursula and Eric's wedding. Eric realizes that it was Ariel who saved him when her voice returns to her and is about to kiss her, but as the sun sets Ariel transforms back into a mermaid and is captured by Ursula. Triton confronts Ursula and agrees to give up himself and his magical trident in return for Ariel's freedom.
Ursula (The Little Mermaid) | "The Little Mermaid" (1989)
The Little Mermaid is a 2018 American live-action fantasy-adventure film inspired by the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen story of the same name. It is directed and written by Blake Harris, co-directed by Chris Bouchard, and produced by Armando Gutierrez and Robert Molloy. The film was released on August 17, 2018, by AMC Theatres. The film grossed $2.61 million USD on a budget of $5 million.
The Little Mermaid (2018 film) | Introduction
In 2019 ABC aired a musical television special performed with a live audience, where footage of the 1989 film was interwoven with live musical performances of songs from the film and Broadway stage musical. Auli'i Cravalho performed as Ariel in this production, and Jodi Benson introduced the show.
Ariel (The Little Mermaid) | "<a href="The%20Little%20Mermaid%20Live%21">The Little Mermaid Live!</a>"
Little from the Fish Shop () is a Czech animated film written and directed by Jan Balej. The film is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's story "The Little Mermaid". It uses puppets animated in stop motion.
Little from the Fish Shop | Introduction
The episode was the first to feature Joanna García Swisher as Ariel, the protagonist of the 1989 Disney film "The Little Mermaid". Garcia's casting was announced in August 2013. It also features the debut of her true love Prince Eric, who is played by Gil McKinney. Series co-creator Edward Kitsis, who co-wrote the episode, stated that "once we realized we were going to Neverland, it felt like the perfect place to see Ariel." Garcia Swisher was pleased that the series had opted to stay true to the Disney film, explaining that "this is a girl that lives under the sea, that has fallen madly in love with this beautiful prince and will go to the ends of the earth to be with him and… it’s a really romantic notion and I just loved the idea of it...
Ariel (Once Upon a Time) | Production
After the success of "The Little Mermaid" (1989), Walt Disney Television Animation subsequently produced an animated television series of the same name that aired on CBS. At the same time, The Disney Afternoon had become a success with television series such as "DuckTales" and "" airing in a syndicated two-hour time slot. Before the theatrical release of "Aladdin", Disney commissioned Tad Stones and Alan Zaslove to produce an animated series of "Aladdin" that would shepherd its transition from the movie into a television series. While conceiving the sequel, Stones became fascinated with the character Iago, commenting that "I said 'I want the parrot in there,' but he was trapped in the lamp [at the end of the "Aladdin" movie], so we came up with a story of how he got out and ended up with Aladdin." As common with half-hour animated television series at the time, Disney initially planned to begin the series with an hour-long television special, but Stones suggested that the film should instead be released on home video.
The Return of Jafar | Production
Principal photography of "Mermaids" began September 25, 1989 in Massachusetts, and completed on December 15 of that year. The Flax house exterior was built for the film in Coolidge Point near Manchester-by-the-Sea, while downtown Rockport served as the fictional village of Eastport. In a rural area near North Easton, the production crew built a bell tower for the convent set, as well as a cottage. Some interior photography was completed on a soundstage constructed in a warehouse in Malden. Though the majority of the film was shot in Massachusetts, some additional photography occurred in Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
Mermaids (1990 film) | Filming
The Little Mermaid is an upcoming American musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall from a screenplay by Jane Goldman and David Magee. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, it is a live action/CGI adaptation of the 1989 animated film of the same name, which is itself based on Hans Christian Andersen's eponymous tale. Serving as producers are Marshall, John DeLuca, Marc Platt, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the latter whom will co-write new songs for the remake with the original film's composer/co-songwriter, Alan Menken, with Menken also returning to compose the score. The film will star Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy with Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, and Awkwafina in voice roles.
The Little Mermaid (upcoming film) | Introduction
Ursula debuted in "The Little Mermaid" (1989) as a sea witch who is scheming to take advantage of the ambitions of King Triton's youngest daughter Princess Ariel in order to usurp the throne and turning merpeople into polyps for her garden. When Ariel saves and falls in love with a human named Prince Eric much to her father's chagrin, Ursula temporarily grants Ariel's wish to live as a human for three days in return for her voice. If she successfully earns a kiss from Eric by the end of the third day, Ariel will remain human permanently; if she fails, she will turn back into a mermaid and belong to Ursula forever.
Ursula (The Little Mermaid) | "The Little Mermaid" (1989)
Established in 1968, this production company produced both live-action and animated films. Apart from Potterton's own projects, this company produced Peter Sander's "The Selfish Giant" and Larry Kent's "Fleur Bleue" in 1971, Mike Mills' "The Happy Prince" in 1974, "The Little Mermaid" in 1975, and in 1975 "The Christmas Messenger". The company was closed in 1974.
Gerald Potterton | Potterton Productions
At the behest of Disney executives Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg, director and screenwriter Ron Clements was among several filmmakers instructed to research new story ideas that could potentially be adapted into the studio's next major animated film release. Clements first discovered Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" at a local bookstore, and began deliberating why Disney had never attempted to adapt the story before. Clements eventually learned that Walt Disney himself had actually attempted to adapt the fairy tale into a feature-length animated film as early as the 1930s, but the project was ultimately shelved due in part to its sad ending.
Ursula (The Little Mermaid) | Conception and writing
"The Little Mermaid" was originally planned as part of one of Walt Disney's earliest feature films, a proposed package film featuring vignettes of Hans Christian Andersen tales. Development started soon after "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in the late 1930s, but was put on hold due to various circumstances. In 1985, "The Great Mouse Detective" co-director Ron Clements discovered a collection of Andersen's fairy tales while browsing a bookstore. He presented a two-page draft of a movie based on "The Little Mermaid" to CEO Michael Eisner and Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg at a "gong show" idea suggestion meeting.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | History
The original cast featured newcomer Sierra Boggess in the title role of Ariel, Sean Palmer as Prince Eric, Brian D'Addario and Trevor Braun alternated as Flounder, Norm Lewis as King Triton, Sherie Rene Scott as Ursula, Tituss Burgess as Sebastian, Tyler Maynard as Flotsam, Derrick Baskin as Jetsam, Jonathan Freeman as Grimsby, and John Treacy Egan as Chef Louis. Notable replacements included Faith Prince as Ursula and Drew Seeley as Prince Eric. The production closed on August 30, 2009, after 50 previews and 685 performances. Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Productions said, "it would be fiscally irresponsible to our shareholders to risk operating losses with such a big show in the historically challenging fall months.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Broadway
Goodwin.
Little Dorrit (1987 film) | Production
From 1987 to 1989, Kirkpatrick became the chief of production at Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures becoming the first motion picture executive to hold that position at two studios at the same time. During that period, he oversaw "The Little Mermaid" (1989), "Pretty Woman" (1990) and "Dead Poets Society" (1989) among other films, before returning to Paramount.
David Kirkpatrick (producer) | Disney and Touchstone
"The Little Mermaid" was the first of a series of blockbusters that would be released over the next decade by Walt Disney Feature Animation, a period later designated by the term Disney Renaissance. Accompanied in theaters by the Mickey Mouse featurette "The Prince and the Pauper", "The Rescuers Down Under" (1990) was Disney's first animated feature sequel and the studio's first film to be fully colored and composited via computer using the CAPS/ink & paint system. However, the film did not duplicate the success of "The Little Mermaid". The next Disney animated feature, "Beauty and the Beast", had begun production in London but was moved back to Burbank after Disney decided to shutter the London satellite office and retool the film into a musical-comedy format similar to "The Little Mermaid".
Walt Disney Animation Studios | 1989–1994: Beginning of the Disney Renaissance, successful releases, impact on the animation industry
Disney's Ariel the Little Mermaid, usually shorted to simply Ariel the Little Mermaid, is a 1992 video game developed by Blue Sky Software for the Sega Genesis, Game Gear and Master System, based on the 1989 film "The Little Mermaid." A Master System version was released exclusively in Brazil by Tec Toy.
Ariel the Little Mermaid | Introduction
In addition, Katzenberg asked songwriters Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who had written the song score for "The Little Mermaid", to turn "Beauty and the Beast" into a Broadway-style musical film in the same vein as "Mermaid". Ashman, who at the time had learned he was dying of complications from AIDS, had been working with Disney on a pet project of his, "Aladdin", and only reluctantly agreed to join the struggling production team. To accommodate Ashman's failing health, pre-production of "Beauty and the Beast" was moved from London to the Residence Inn in Fishkill, New York, close to Ashman's New York City home.
Beauty and the Beast (1991 film) | Script rewrite and musicalization
Emily Lloyd was originally cast in the role of Charlotte Flax. She had begun shooting the film when Cher complained that Lloyd did not look enough like her to play her daughter. Winona Ryder, who impressed both Cher and then-director Oz in "Heathers" (1989), was subsequently cast in the part. Lloyd sued Orion Pictures Corporation and Mermaid Productions for breach of contract and received US$175,000 in damages; reaching a settlement on the second day of the trial, 30 July 1991.
Mermaids (1990 film) | Casting
After the Broadway production underperformed at the box office and closed in 2009, director Glenn Casale was brought on to reinvent the musical for the 2012 Dutch production. He made changes to the score and book, including introducing a new song, "Daddy's Little Angel" to replace "I Want the Good Times Back" (which gives Ursula and Triton a new backstory), and replacing the Heelys worn by the actors to introduce aerial effects and flying harnesses to create the illusion of being underwater. The new stage design was made by Bob Crowley, with the world above water made to look like a pop-up book, using cardboard waves and rocks.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Reimagining
As the story opens, a busful of tourists are touring Copenhagen. Their guide draws their attention to the beautiful statue at Langelinie. At that, the film's focus moves below the waterline, where several fish tell the story of. A galleon is foundering on the rough ocean. It's master, a young prince, is trying his best to keep the ship out of harm, but he fails, and eventually falls into the waves. Meanwhile, four mermaid princesses come from a magnificent alabaster underwater palace. The three older mermaids, clad in blue, give their younger sister a red cloak, indirectly indicating whom the protagonist is.
The Little Mermaid (1968 film) | Plot
"The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning" is a direct-to-video prequel to the first film. The film was released on Region 1 DVD in the United States on August 26, 2008, and on Region 2 DVD in Europe on September 22, 2008. It was directed by Peggy Holmes and produced by Kendra Halland. The film contains special features including deleted scenes, a production featurette hosted by the director, games and activities, and a featurette hosted by Sierra Boggess about the Broadway musical. "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning" received mixed-to-negative reviews, with praise given to the animation quality, but the film's music and new antagonist, Marina Del Rey, being criticised for being inferior to those found in the original film.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning"