5. Little Mermaid (1989)
Little Mermaid ranks 5th on our list of most successful Disney movies ever. It was released in 1989, and its appearance is usually seen as the beginning of the period called Disney Renaissance, during which the company managed to recover from previous box office bombs and further expand its business. The movie, which was based on the work of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, was the first fairy tale adaptation since Sleeping Beauty and it marked Disney’s return to its hallmark – animated fairy tales. Compared to other films on this list Little Mermaid earned far less, but it was well received among critics, winning two Oscars, two Golden Globes and two Grammies – all in musical categories. Critical acclaim was followed by the great popularity of soundtrack album, which was sold in two million copies in the period between its release and September 1990. The movie was adapted for the stage performance on Broadway, and it was recently announced that the story will have its live-action version.
