The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated
musical fantasy film produced by
Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by
Walt Disney Pictures. Based on the
Danish fairy tale of the same name by
Hans Christian Andersen,
The Little Mermaid tells the story of a beautiful
mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human. Written, directed, and produced 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,
Pat Carroll,
Samuel E. Wright, Jason Marin,
Kenneth Mars,
Buddy Hackett, and
René Auberjonois.