Director of Studio Mir Talks About Surprising Similarities with Disney

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The Witcher evoking one of Disney’s most famous movies likely wasn’t on anyone’s 2025 anime controversy bingo card, and yet the unexpected comparison has emerged all the same. Netflix’s latest anime Witcher spinoff, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, has ‘flooded’ fan circles, raising questions about creative inspiration versus derivativeness.

Released just last week, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep has earned mixed reviews thus far, sitting around 60% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. Consensus might agree on the feature’s haunting underwater sequences and ethereal mermaid designs, but eyebrows rise over what seems like undeniable similarities to Disney’s 1989 classic, The Little Mermaid, as recently addressed by the director in a new interview.

Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher video game, live-action series and Sirens of the Deep

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The controversy has prompted Studio Mir director Kang Hei Chul to address the parallels. “In adapting the traditional siren myth into an animated format, some concepts could resemble familiar and iconic images,” Kang explained during an exclusive interview, addressing the mounting online speculation. “As a fan who grew up watching Disney’s The Little Mermaid, I appreciate the influence of the film, although it is not a direct homage.”

Kang has a point. After all, The Little Mermaid isn’t a Disney property but a fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, published in 1837. The director’s clarification highlights the challenges in adapting age-old mythology, much of which already has definitive iterations; how does one carve out visual territory that feels authentic?

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Geralt uses his powers in The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep — Image via Netflix

Based on the short story “A Little Sacrifice” from the Sword of Destiny collection by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, the new Witcher film expands on some deep-cut source material, perhaps leading to the project inadvertently being steered closer to familiar visual territory than audiences anticipated. However, rather than bristling at the Disney comparisons, Kang seemed genuinely flattered. “It’s truly an honor to be mentioned alongside Disney’s The Little Mermaid, as I am a devoted Disney fan myself!” the director concluded.

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is currently streaming exclusively on Netflix.