The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning is a 2008 American animated direct-to-video fantasy film produced by Disneytoon Studios, With the animation production being done by Toon City and DisneyToon Studios Australia, and a prequel to Disney's 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid and the third and final installment in The Little Mermaid trilogy, as well as the last direct-to-video follow-up after John Lasseter took over as chairman for the Disney Animation Division. It is also the first in the chronology of the story running through the series and it is based on the fairy tale The Little Mermaid of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen and Disney's The Little Mermaid by Walt Disney Animation Japan and Walt Disney Television.