The Little Mermaid is the original film of the franchise. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, and was released to theaters on November 15, 1989 by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, and produced by Musker and Howard Ashman. The Little Mermaid is the 28th film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics and belongs to an era known as the Disney Renaissance. It is based on Hans Christian Andersen]'s fairy tale of the same name.