 The idea of adapting the Aladdin story as a Disney animated musical  was first proposed by Howard Ashman (qv) in 1988 at the time that  he and Alan Menken (qv) were still working on  _Little Mermaid, The (1989)_ (qv) and before work had begun on  _Beauty and the Beast (1991)_ (qv). Howard Ashman (qv) wrote an  initial treatment for the project and collaborated on six songs with  Alan Menken (qv). When John Musker (qv) and Ron Clements (qv)  finished directing duties on _Little Mermaid, The (1989)_ (qv), they  turned their attention to writing a first draft of the  _Aladdin (1992)_ (qv) script, and became eventually directors for  it.