Disney’s The Little Mermaid made its theatrical debut back in 1989. And since then, it spawned spin-offs, sequels, and a live-action adaptation. It also won Best Original Score during the 62nd Academy Awards, and the song ‘Under the sea’ won “Best Original Song.” This film was so successful that it’s no wonder why Princess Ariel was included in the Disney Princess roster.

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In 2023, another Little Mermaid film will come to the big screen. Disney announced that this iconic princess film will receive a live-action adaptation, following Aladdin, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, just to name a few. The film will star Halle Bailey as the iconic princess, with Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, the sea witch. While this live-action adaptation will soon hit the screens, let’s look back at other titles that were part of this princess franchise.

How many Disney ‘The Little Mermaid’ movies are there?

Disney has released multiple The Little Mermaid films thanks to the original’s success, with each connecting to the original 1989 tale. The first was a sequel, titled The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea. It was released in 2000 as a direct-to-video film, meaning it didn’t have a theatrical release. Then, in 2008, Disney released a prequel titled The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning, and it too was a direct-to-video film. These three films had Jodi Benson voicing Ariel and were connected to the late 1980s classic.

Alongside The Little Mermaid animated trilogy, Disney released The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live!, a tribute to the late 1980s film, starring Auli’i Cravalho, Queen Latifah, and Amber Riley. This Little Mermaid film was a mix of animation and a Broadway-style live-action, and was released in 2019 to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary.

Soon, Disney will release the fifth title for this mermaid princess franchise, the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. When the film was first announced, Bailey faced racist backlash due to Ariel’s skin color. The actress revealed that she cried when the trailer first came out, not because of the hate she’s received but because she was happy to see young people feel like they’re represented on screen.

In total, Disney has released four The Little Mermaid movies, with a fifth one soon to be released. All these classics are still available to access on Disney Plus. Meanwhile, the live-action adaptation will hit theaters on May 26, 2023.