Screen Rant

ScreenRant logo

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid is a Disney media franchise based on the 1989 animated film inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale. The franchise includes several direct-to-video sequels and prequels, a live-action remake in 2023, TV series, stage musicals, video games, and theme park attractions. The franchise centers on Ariel, a mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human, and her adventures with friends under the sea and in the human world.

+ See More
The Little Mermaid (1989) Movie Poster
The Little Mermaid
Created by
Ron Clements, John Musker
First Film
The Little Mermaid
Latest Film
The Little Mermaid
First TV Show
The Little Mermaid (1992)
Latest TV Show
Disney Junior's Ariel
First Episode Air Date
September 11, 1992

Cast
Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Pat Carroll, Kenneth Mars, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Halle Bailey, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy, Daveed Diggs, Jonah Hauer-King, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay
Current Series
Disney Junior's Ariel
TV Show(s)
The Little Mermaid (1992), Disney Junior's Ariel
Movie(s)
The Little Mermaid, The Little Mermaid 2: Return To The Sea, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, The Little Mermaid
Character(s)
Ariel, Prince Eric, Ursula, Sebastian (The Little Mermaid), King Triton, Flounder, Scuttle, Morgana (The Little Mermaid), Melody (The Little Mermaid)

Disney Junior's Ariel

More
5:39
Mykal-Michelle Harris during Disney Junior's Ariel interview
Disney Junior's Ariel Star Mykal-Michelle Harris Dissects The Big Ursula Change
By 
5:55
Lynne Southerland during Disney Junior's Ariel interview
EP Lynne Southerland Reveals Whether Disney Junior's Ariel Connects To The Little Mermaid Live-Action
By 
5:43
Taye Diggs during Disney Junior's Ariel interview
Disney Junior's Ariel Star Taye Diggs Shares How The Little Mermaid Show Differs From The Movie
By 

The Little Mermaid

More
Collage of Melissa McCarthy singing Poor unfortunate souls and animated Ursula
Melissa McCarthy Singing Ursula's "Poor Unfortunate Souls" Is Nearly Perfect — & I Know Every Little Mermaid Song By Heart
By 
A blended image features Halle Bailey as the live-action version of Ariel and the animated version of The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid: The 25 Best Quotes
By 
A blended image features images of Halle Bailey in Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid Wisely Changed The Original Horrifying Story
By 
A blended image showcases Ariel and her six sisters in the 2023 live action Disney remake of The Little Mermaid
Ariel's 6 Sisters In Disney's Little Mermaid Remake Explained (& What The Movie Changed)
By 
Ursula, Flotsam and Jetsam singing in The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid: Why Eels Flotsam & Jetsam Should Have Had Speaking Roles In The Live-Action Remake
By 

The Little Mermaid 2: Return To The Sea

More
The Little mermaid 2 and The Lion King 2
Disney’s Best Straight-To-DVD Sequels Came Out 2 Years Apart And Told The Exact Same Story
By 

The Little Mermaid

More
Ariel singing on the rock in The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid Review: This Classic Disney Animation's Message Still Resonates 35 Years Later
By 
Ariel Looking Angry in The Little Mermaid
Ariel Becomes A Murderous Mermaid In R-Rated The Little Mermaid Trailer
By 
Blended image of three of Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid, including Attina
The Little Mermaid's Attina & Ariel's Six Sisters Explained
By 
The little mermaid banned cover
Why The Little Mermaid's 1989 VHS Cover Was Banned
By 
AI art of live action Snow White from 1937
Disney Princess Art Imagines Live-Action Characters In The Year Their Movies Came Out
By 

latest

A blended image features the live-action ghost crab Sebastian and the 1989 animated Sebastian for Disney's The Little Mermaid
Is Little Mermaid’s Sebastian A Crab Or Lobster? Disney Confusion Explained
Movies

Sebastian is a fan favorite from The Little Mermaid but is he supposed to be a crab or lobster? Here's how Disney has confused the matter.

By 
Animated Ursula from The Little Mermaid grinning under water
Little Mermaid Ursula Cosplay Transformation Video Is Jaw-Dropping
The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid cosplay shows an intricate, transformative vision of Ursula replete with her periwinkle skin, wig, and curvaceous dress.

By 
Halle Bailey as Ariel looking surprised towards the surface in The Little Mermaid
"There Was A Breaking Point": Why An Unmade Live-Action Little Mermaid Lost A Major Director
Movies

An unmade live-action Little Mermaid movie lost an acclaimed female director because a studio executive wanted it to appeal to older men.

By 
Halle Bailey as Ariel in the sea in The Little Mermaid
Why Little Mermaid's Live-Action Underwater Scenes Look So Weird Detailed By VFX Artists
The Little Mermaid

The VFX artists at Corridor Crew detail why the live-action underwater scenes in Disney's Little Mermaid remake look weird and get a lot wrong.

By 
Scuttle in both versions of The Little Mermaid
Why Scuttle Isn't A Seagull In The Little Mermaid 2023
The Little Mermaid

Scuttle isn't a seagull in The Little Mermaid 2023 remake but a wholly different species of bird, and there is a pretty cool reason as to why.

By 
Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid
Little Mermaid Live-Action Producers Sued For $200K Due To On Set Injury
The Little Mermaid

A special effects artist who worked on the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid is suing producers for almost $200,000 after an on-set injury.

By 
Elsa Genie Hercules
7 Disney Animated Movie Fan Theories That Have Been Confirmed
Disney

Disney's animated movies have made way for a variety of theories, some of them quite obscure, and a couple of them have already been confirmed.

By 
Halle Bailey as Ariel is looking through a telescope in The Little Mermaid.
The Little Mermaid's Disney+ Streaming Date Finally Announced (& It's Later Than Expected)
The Little Mermaid

After releasing in May, Rob Marshall’s The Little Mermaid remake now officially has a Disney+ release date, but it’s a little later than anticipated.

By 
Halle Bailey as Ariel is looking at Sebastian in The Little Mermaid.
The Little Mermaid Dominates VOD Charts After Digital Release
The Little Mermaid

After its somewhat underwhelming box office performance, The Little Mermaid has made a big splash on digital platforms and is dominating VOD charts.

By 
Jonah_Hauer-King_Little_Mermaid_2023_Wild_Uncharted_Waters_SR_Exclusives
The Little Mermaid BTS Clip Explores Creation Of Prince Eric's New Song [EXCLUSIVE]
The Little Mermaid

Screen Rant presents an exclusive The Little Mermaid BTS clip exploring the creation of Prince Eric's new song for the live-action remake.

By 
Ariel and the Curse of the Sea Witches a Graphic Novel cover
Only Ariel Can Stop a Human/Merfolk War in Little Mermaid Sequel
Comics

In Ariel and the Curse of the Sea Witches: A Graphic Novel, the Little Mermaid sequel finally sees Ariel grappling with her split heritage.

By 
Ariel singing while Ariel rows the boat with Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid Streaming Release Date Announced By Disney, Goes To VOD After 2 Months
The Little Mermaid

The home release date for Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid remake has been revealed and will be available to watch later this month.

By 
Halle Bailey as Ariel looking at Scuttle in The Little Mermaid live-action remake
The Little Mermaid Box Office es Half A Billion (But Is It Enough?)
The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid, which opened in theaters on May 26, reaches the $500 million milestone this weekend, though it may not be in the black.

By 
The Little Mermaid 2023 Melissa McCarthy as Ursula looking questioning
“She’s Totally Misunderstood”: Ursula’s Villainy Defended By The Little Mermaid’s Melissa McCarthy
The Little Mermaid

Disney's sea witch Ursula’s villainy is defended by The Little Mermaid live-action remake's Melissa McCarthy, stating that she is misunderstood.

By 
Ariel faces Arnaaluk in The Little Mermaid sequel graphic novel
Little Mermaid Sequel Sees Ariel Confront Her Dark Opposite
Comics

A sequel to Disney's The Little Mermaid called Ariel and the Curse of the Sea Witches introduces a sea witch Ariel could have become herself.

By 
Halle Bailey underwater as Ariel in The Little Mermaid.
The Little Mermaid Bombs At The Chinese Box Office, Reportedly After Racist Backlash
The Little Mermaid

Disney's live-action Little Mermaid remake, bombs at the Chinese box office, reportedly after the racist backlash regarding Ariel's casting.

By 
The Little Mermaid Box Office Drop Disney Remakes
The Little Mermaid’s Box Office Drop Is Horrible For Disney’s Live-Action Remakes
The Little Mermaid

Disney's live-action remakes have delivered plenty of hits, but The Little Mermaid's box office drop in its second weekend is a horrible outlier.

By 
little-mermaid-remake-ariel-power-siren-song
The Little Mermaid Gives Ariel A New Power That The Original Movie Left Out
The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid remake expanded on plenty of original storylines, including the powers of Ariel and the other merpeople living under the sea.

By 
Halle Bailey smiling as Ariel in The Little Mermaid.
Live-Action Little Mermaid BTS Story Proves Halle Bailey Is Ariel In Real Life
The Little Mermaid

Melissa McCarthy shares a behind-the-scenes story from The Little Mermaid that shows just how close Halle Bailey is to being a real-life Ariel.

By 
Halle Bailey as Little Mermaid and animated Disney Peter Pan
Dark Little Mermaid Theory Reveals A Classic Disney Villain Killed Ariel's Mother
Movies

Disney loves hidden Easter eggs which connect their movies, and one subtle detail suggests a classic villain may have killed Ariel's mother.

By 
See More