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.
Plot
The Little Mermaid (1989 film)
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Plot
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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
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
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
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 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
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
Wright, Carroll, Mars, Edwards, and Welker reprise their roles from the original film. The show replaced the previous attraction, "Here Come The Muppets," on January 7, 1992 in the Animation Courtyard Theater.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid | Introduction
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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 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
Review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes reported that the film has a 93% approval score based on 70 reviews and an average rating of 8.2/10. The site's consensus reads ""The Little Mermaid" ushered in a new golden era for Disney animation with warm and charming hand-drawn characters and catchy musical sequences". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Roger Ebert, film critic for the "Chicago Sun-Times", was enthusiastic about the film and wrote that, ""The Little Mermaid" is a jolly and inventive animated fantasy—a movie that's so creative and so much fun it deserves comparison with the best Disney work of the past." Ebert also commented positively on the character of Ariel, stating, "...
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Critical reception
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
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 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
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!"
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
"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
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
"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
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
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
In January 1990, "The Little Mermaid" earned three Academy Award nominations, making it the first Disney animated film to earn an Academy Award nomination since "The Rescuers" in 1977. The film won two of the awards, for Best Original Score and Best Original Song ("Under the Sea"). The film also earned four Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture—Comedy or Musical, and won the awards for Best Original Song ("Under the Sea") and Best Original Score. In addition to the box office and critical success of the film itself, the film's soundtrack album earned two awards at the 33rd Grammy Awards in 1991: the Grammy Award for Best Album for Children and the Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television ("Under the Sea").
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Accolades
The film also won two Golden Globes for Best Original Score as well Best Original Song for "Under the Sea". It was also nominated in two other categories, Best Picture—Comedy or Musical and another Best Original Song. Menken and Ashman also won a Grammy Award in 1991 for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television for "Under the Sea."
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Accolades
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
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 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"
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
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
It is so fun, we're just in rehearsals. It's been an absolute blast. Stepping into the world of Rob Marshall, it's like a fever dream, I just went to London for a week, I was like, 'I don't get to go to dance camp for a week.' All day he's like, 'Do you want to slide down this 40-foot clam shell?' I'm like, 'Yes! Of course I do. What are you, crazy?' It's been wildly creative."
The Little Mermaid (upcoming film) | Casting
The show starts out with a preshow following artifacts including King Triton's trident. Then guests enter a theater where the show begins. Due to the special effects that are involved in the attraction, guests are asked to remain seated during the performance. It starts with the Oscar-winning song "Under the Sea", featuring various "black light" puppets, then goes into "Part of Your World", which is followed by Ursula singing "Poor Unfortunate Souls". This song is performed by a gigantic puppet, 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide. After Ursula steals Ariel's voice, a montage of the film leading up to the demise of the sea witch is shown.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid | Synopsis
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
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
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)
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
Alan Menken's first songs-and-underscore project garnered him an Academy Award for the Best Score of 1989. This would prove to give him a very high nomination-to-win ratio of awards. Alan was originally hired for the songs only, but after writing an underscore demo for the film's executives, his assignment grew. The following are some details on the film's score overall:
The Little Mermaid (soundtrack) | Score composition and orchestration
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
It won two Academy Awards for Best Original Song ("Under the Sea") and for Best Original Score, earning an additional nomination for Best Original Song for "Kiss the Girl".
Disney Renaissance | 1989: "The Little Mermaid"
Hal Hinson of "The Washington Post" wrote a mixed review of the film, referring to it as a "likably unspectacular adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen classic." Hinson went on to write that the film is average even at its highest points. He wrote that while there is nothing wrong with the film, it would be difficult for children to identify with Ariel and that the characters seemed bland. Hinson concluded his review saying that the film is "accomplished but uninspiring, "The Little Mermaid" has enough to please any kid. All that's missing is the magic." "Empire" gave a positive review of the film, stating that "["The Little Mermaid" is] a charmer of a movie, boasting all the ingredients that make a Disney experience something to treasure yet free of all the politically correct, formulaic elements that have bogged down the more recent productions."
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Critical reception
Lastly, a final choral version, entitled "Happy Ending", is performed after Ariel and Eric's wedding.
Part of Your World | Sequence and use in "The Little Mermaid"
The music has also been criticized as being unmemorable, with one review stating that "to label this a musical would be false advertising".
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning | Reception
"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"
Cam sneaks back into the circus and overhears a conversation between Locke and his henchman, Sid. He follows the sound of Elizabeth's singing to her tent before he's found by Locke and Sid and forced to leave.
The Little Mermaid (2018 film) | Plot
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
The movie opens in live-action Denmark. The narrator mentions Hans Christian Andersen and his authorship of the original story. After a brief shot of a live-action ocean and the opening title card (with a mermaid song in the background), the scene dissolves to 2-D hand-drawn anime. Princess Marina, who lives in the undersea kingdom with her father, grandmother and five older sisters, is playing with her best friend Fritz, a dolphin. On her way home, the Sea Witch conjures a powerful storm. Marina is scolded by her sisters for being late, reminding her that their grandmother will not give her the pearl hairpin that signifies adulthood unless she is responsible.
Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (1975 film) | Plot
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 score to the film was composed by James Dooley, who recorded the score with a 72-piece ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony, as well as a big band, at the Sony Scoring Stage. The film features new songs written by Jeanine Tesori, along with covers of previously recorded calypso songs that were arranged by Dooley. No soundtrack has been released yet for the film. The songs featured in the film are:
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning | Soundtrack
The film was originally released on November 17, 1989, followed by a re-release on November 14, 1997. After the success of the 3D re-release of "The Lion King", Disney announced a 3D re-release of "The Little Mermaid" scheduled for September 13, 2013, but this was cancelled on January 14, 2013, due to the under-performances of other Disney 3D re-releases until further notice. The 3D version was released on Blu-ray instead, but it did play a limited engagement at the El Capitan Theatre from September to October 2013. On September 20, 2013, "The Little Mermaid" began playing in select theaters where audiences could bring iPads and use an app called Second Screen Live.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Release
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 Little Mermaid" premiered in the fall of 1992, on September 11, with the animated prime time special called "A Whale of a Tale", then moved to Saturday mornings. This series originally appeared on CBS, with an original run from 1992 to November 26, 1994. Some of the episodes contain musical segments, featuring original songs written for the series. The opening theme to the show is an instrumental combination of the songs "Part of Your World", "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl". The overture for the 2007 stage musical of "The Little Mermaid" is similar to this.
The Little Mermaid (TV series) | Introduction
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
It then goes to the scene where King Triton lets Ariel go with Prince Eric. At the end of the show, a curtain of falling water covers the stage, allowing guests to "return" to the surface. "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" is located in the Animation Courtyard section.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid | Synopsis
On their way back to Atlantica, they encounter Marina, and a struggle ensues in which Ariel is knocked unconscious, witnessed by Triton. Ariel makes a full recovery, and a remorseful Triton allows music back into Atlantica.
Ariel (The Little Mermaid) | "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning"
Bolstered by the film's success and the soundtrack's Oscars, Golden Globes and Grammy Awards, was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in September 1990 for shipments of two million copies of the soundtrack album, an unheard of feat for an animated film at the time. To date, the soundtrack has been certified six times platinum. "The Little Mermaid" won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score as well as Best Original Song for Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's "Under the Sea", sung by Samuel E. Wright in a memorable scene. Another song from the film, "Kiss the Girl", was nominated but lost to "Under the Sea".
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Accolades
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 story is set in the 13th century. The little mermaid sees a prince on a ship from a distance and falls in love with him. Other mermaids mesmerize the sailors into crashing their ship on to the rocks. The mermaid saves the prince from drowning and brings him to shore. A local princess notices the unconscious prince and rescues him. The mermaid wants to marry the prince and swims towards palace where the princess lives. One of the fishermen spots her and they all throw rocks at her. She hides for safety in the canal within the palace. A traveling handyman befriends her.
The Little Mermaid (1976 Russian film) | Plot
Ariel returns to the palace and her sisters confront her over her disappearance, she explains where she was and the following night the girls go to the club to have fun, Marina finds them and she later reports their activities to Triton, who destroys the club with his trident. Sebastian, Flounder and the band are sent to prison, while Marina gets the job she wants. Triton confines his daughters to the palace and Ariel says that Triton wouldn’t have hated music if her mother had still been alive. She swims to the bedroom, with her sisters following, and everyone is unhappy, aside from Marina.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning | Plot
He enlists the help of a local witch who demands her hair and sweet voice for transforming her tail into legs. The witch takes the mermaid's hair but does not take her voice. The traveling handyman contacts the prince who is recovering at the palace and tells him about the mermaid. By then, the mermaid is about to be burned at the stake by the people who had caught her. The prince saves the mermaid and the princess takes the mermaid in her care. The prince fights off a local challenger in a joust to marry the princess. But, the challenger stabs the prince in the back when he was not looking.
The Little Mermaid (1976 Russian film) | Plot
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
On May 16, 2017, ABC announced that it planned to air "The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live", on October 3, 2017, which would have featured a broadcast of the film with a similar format to the aforementioned Hollywood Bowl concerts. The special aimed to appeal to the recent trend of live made-for-TV productions of Broadway musicals on network television, such as those of NBC. However, on August 3, 2017, it was announced that the special had been dropped due to budget issues. On August 5, 2019, it was announced that the project had been revived to mark the 30th anniversary of the film's original release, and would be aired on November 5, 2019.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | "The Little Mermaid Live!"
Everyone abandons the prince now that he is dead. The mermaid begs the witch to revive the prince. The witch does so but warns her that if the prince does not marry the mermaid, she will die. The prince comes back alive but does not marry the mermaid. He marries the princess and the mermaid is destined to die on the same day. The traveling handyman challenges the prince to a fight and is killed. His sacrifice spares the mermaid from death and her soul becomes eternal.
The Little Mermaid (1976 Russian film) | Plot
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"
The DVD became the top-selling DVD for the week ending August 31, selling 980,237 copies. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 33% based on 6 reviews. The new villain, Marina Del Rey, was criticized as a poor follow-up to Ursula. The animation quality of the film has been praised as being "impressive" for a direct-to-video and comparable to that of the original film. A mildly negative review has described that in the film "goofiness often gets buried too often underneath a blah story that's much too run-of-the-mill to allow the emotional oomph of the characters' plights to truly impact".
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning | Reception
Instead of the usual Monday-Sunday run, "The Little Mermaid" ran from Wednesday through Thursday of the following week.
List of The Muny repertory | 2011 (Season 93)
The prologue of "" (2008) shows Ariel as a young mermaid, living happily with her father, King Triton, her mother, Queen Athena, and her six older sisters. As Ariel and her family relax in a lagoon, a pirate ship approaches and everyone flees except Athena, who returns to recover a music box Triton had given her and is killed when the ship crushes her. Afterwards, a devastated King Triton bans all music from Atlantica and throws the music box deep into the ocean. Ariel and her sisters grow up forgetting music and living under their father's strict rules, enforced by Marina del Rey, their governess.
Ariel (The Little Mermaid) | "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning"
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 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
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 began previews on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 3, 2007 and was temporarily shut down on November 10, 2007 due to the 2007 Broadway stagehand strike. The strike ended on November 28, 2007, and the show resumed previews the next day. The official opening date was postponed from December 6, 2007 to January 10, 2008. Jodi Benson and Pat Carroll, who starred in the 1989 animated film as Ariel and Ursula, respectively, attended the opening night ceremony. Direction was by Francesca Zambello, making her Broadway debut, with choreography by Stephen Mear. Scenic design was by George Tsypin, costumes by Tatiana Noginova, lighting by Natasha Katz and projections by Sven Ortel.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Broadway
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)
Eric isn't interested in any of them, and Ariel asks to participate, dancing for him. Eric picks her, but before they can embrace, Ursula appears, declaring that the sun has set and Ariel now belongs to her. Flotsam and Jetsam grab Ariel to take her back to the sea. King Triton arrives to confront his sister, agreeing to take Ariel's place. Ursula claims the trident and declares herself queen ("Poor Unfortunate Souls (Reprise)"). She banishes Triton with a wave of the trident. During a battle with Eric's ship, Ariel grabs Ursula's Nautilus shell and regains her voice (which causes a horrified Flotsam and Jetsam to swim away).
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Act II
"The Little Mermaid" television series is a prequel to the movie of the same name. The story is set between "Ariel's Beginning" and the 1989 film, and follows Ariel's adventures as a mermaid still living under the sea with her father King Triton, Sebastian the crab and Flounder the fish. Various episodes highlight her relationships with her friends, father and sisters, and usually involve Ariel foiling the attempts of various enemies that intend ill harm to her or her kingdom. A prequel film, "", was released in 2008 containing events that contradict the television series (such as Ariel's youth and first meeting with Flounder), making the TV series and "Ariel's Beginning" independent continuities.
The Little Mermaid (TV series) | Premise
The film was released on Region 1 DVD in the United States on August 26, 2008, and on Region 2 DVD in the United Kingdom and Europe on September 22, 2008. The DVD contains special features including deleted scenes, a production featurette hosted by the director, games and activities, and a featurette hosted by Sierra Boggess (who played Ariel on Broadway) about the Broadway musical. On December 16, 2008, the film was released in a "The Little Mermaid Trilogy" boxed set that includes "The Little Mermaid" (Platinum Edition) and "". On November 19, 2013, it was released on Blu-ray as a 2-movie collection alongside the sequel.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning | Release
He wisely conjectures that a handy mermaid will bring guests. With Ethel clad in appropriate costume, and seated upon the rocks in true mermaid fashion, her father persuades the reporter of the local paper to take a look at the phenomenon. The newspaper man is greatly impressed with the spectacle and obtains a photo of the mermaid, which he publishes. The mermaid gains wide publicity - and vacationists arrive from near and far to see her. Tom, Dick and Harry, a trio of city sports, jump into bathing suits and the water, each bent on capturing the mermaid. She eludes them all, however, and the mystery is not cleared up until Ethel, in a pre-tailored suit, presents herself to the guests and explains the joke.
The Mermaid (1910 film) | Plot
This article lists information of animated original characters from Disney's "The Little Mermaid" franchise, covering the 1989 film, its prequel TV series, its direct-to-video and films, and the stage musical adaptation.
List of The Little Mermaid characters | Introduction
Realizing that Ariel was the girl who saved his life, Eric rushes to kiss her, but the sun sets and Ariel transforms back into a mermaid. Ursula reverts to her true form and kidnaps Ariel.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | Plot and themes
It turns out that the princess from the neighboring kingdom is the temple girl, as she was sent to the temple for her education. The prince declares his love for her, and the royal wedding is announced at once. The prince and princess celebrate their new marriage on a wedding ship, and the Little Mermaid's heart breaks. She thinks of all that she has sacrificed and of all the pain she has endured for the prince. She despairs, thinking of the death that awaits her, but before dawn, her sisters rise out of the water and bring her a dagger that the Sea Witch has given them in exchange for their long, beautiful hair.
The Little Mermaid | Plot summary
Ariel meets Flounder and follows him to a secret underground club where Sebastian and his band play music. There she sings the song "I Remember", which reminds her of her distant past surrounded by love and music, and of her mother. Ariel introduces her sisters to the club, but eventually they are caught thanks to Marina, who had followed them. Sebastian and his band are imprisoned and the club is closed under Triton's orders. After arguing with Triton, Ariel breaks the band out of prison and escapes with them. With Sebastian's assistance, Ariel finds her mother's music box, and they decide to return it to Triton.
Ariel (The Little Mermaid) | "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning"
In the United Kingdom, the word "spastic" was cut from an interactive game in the extra features of the DVD and Blu-Ray releases by the BBFC to achieve a "U" rating. An uncut version was available rated "12". The word appears uncensored in all versions of the full-length feature.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning | Censorship in the United Kingdom
Sebastian returns to the sea and tells an angry King Triton about Ariel's deal with Ursula. On Ariel's last day as a human, Grimsby has arranged a contest for all foreign princesses to sing for Eric, so he may choose one for his bride ("The Contest"). Eric isn't interested in any of them, and Ariel asks to participate, dancing for him. Eric picks her, but before they can embrace, Ursula appears, declaring that the sun has set and Ariel now belongs to her. Flotsam and Jetsam grab Ariel to take her back to the sea. King Triton arrives to confront his sister, agreeing to take Ariel's place.
The Little Mermaid Jr. | Act II
Voyage of the Little Mermaid is a live show attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. "Voyage" is an abridgment of the 1989 film "The Little Mermaid". Along with a mix of live actors and puppets, the show features effects such as light and laser projections on the auditorium walls and light rain over the audience. Voice actors include Jess Harnell (or Samuel E. Wright) as Sebastian, Pat Carroll as Ursula, Kenneth Mars (or Corey Burton) as King Triton, Edan Gross as Flounder, Paddi Edwards as Flotsam and Jetsam, and Frank Welker as Max the Sheepdog.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid | Introduction
Principal photography was originally scheduled to begin in April 2020, in London. However, it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 29, 2020, Tremblay began recording his lines for the film. Filming was then expected to commence on August 10, 2020, but it was delayed yet again to late November/early December 2020 in order to accommodate McCarthy's schedule for the Hulu limited series, "Nine Perfect Strangers".
The Little Mermaid (upcoming film) | Filming
The Little Mermaid is a Disney media franchise. The success of the 1989 American animated feature film "The Little Mermaid" led to a direct-to-video sequel, a prequel film, a spin-off television series, a musical, several video games, theme park attractions, and other merchandise. A live action remake of the film is in development. "The Little Mermaid" paved the way for what would become the Disney Renaissance, with the original film becoming the first film of that era.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | Introduction
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
Rehearsals for the Broadway production began on May 29, 2007 at the New 42nd Street Studios in New York. The cast had six weeks of rehearsals before the pre-Broadway tryout.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Development
The design team consisted of George Tsypin for sets, Natasha Katz for lighting, Tatiana Noginova for costumes, and Sven Ortel for projections - all four of whom had previously worked with Zambello. For the performers' movements, choreographer Stephen Mear had the actors wear Heelys wheeled footwear, dubbed "merblades", while tails on sprung-steel rods, designed by Michael Curry, were attached to their hips. Sierra Boggess, who originated the role of Ariel, was an ice-skater and had no trouble with the Heelys, but the rest of the cast took some getting used to the footwear. Ariel's tail originally had a motor inside that allowed the fluke to move independently, but the mechanics made the tail heavy and loud and were removed.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Development
On the strength of the success of "Little Shop of Horrors", Menken and Ashman were hired by Walt Disney Studios to write the music for "The Little Mermaid" (1989). The challenge was to create an animated musical film of this Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale that could sit alongside the Disney films "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Cinderella". "The Little Mermaid" opened to critical and commercial success and signaled a new Disney era called the Disney Renaissance. The film gave them their first Oscar win: Best Song for the song "Under the Sea". Menken also won the 1989 Oscar for Best Score.
Alan Menken | Disney Renaissance and later films
Marina and her sisters are then summoned to their father and grandmother and are told to go to bed early because of the storm. The following day, Marina's sisters go to the surface. Marina is curious, but she is forbidden to go because she has not yet come of age. She then asks her grandmother if humans can live forever. She says that although mermaids can live up to 300 years, they do not have an immortal soul as humans do when they die; mermaids simply dissolve into sea foam and cease to exist. While exploring a sunken ship destroyed by the storm, she discovers a statue of a human prince.
Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (1975 film) | Plot