The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical romantic fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Pictures. The 28th Disney animated feature film and the first film in The Little Mermaid franchise, it is loosely based on the 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.