Mermaid fans have a cause for shell-abration as a series adaptation of the 2006 film “Aquamarine” has received a pilot order at Disney+ and Disney Channel.
Emma Roberts, who starred in the original film, will guest star as Claire Brown in the pilot, with Roberts also onboard as an executive producer. The project hails from writer Sarah Watson, with the film’s director, Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, attached to direct and executive produce. Susan Cartsonis will also executive produce. John Quintance and Jessica Bendinger wrote the original film, which was based on a novel of the same name by Alice Hoffman. Quintance, Bendinger, and Hoffman are not involved in the pilot.
Along with Roberts, “Aquamarine” starred Joanna “JoJo” Levesque, Sara Paxton, Jake McDorman, and Arielle Kebbel. In the film, tween best friends Claire (Roberts) and Hailey (Levesque) try to help mermaid Aquamarine (Paxton) find true love with lifeguard Raymond (McDorman) to prevent herself from being trapped in an arranged marriage. The film was not particularly well-received when it was first released but has since achieved cult status.
Not much has been revealed about the new plot, but the logline states that teenager Coral travels to a seaside town and begins unraveling the truth behind her mother’s disappearance. Upon discovering that her mother was a mermaid, this awakens magical powers in Coral just as secrets beneath the waves threaten to surface.
It is also uncertain whether Jojo, McDorman, Kebbel, or Paxton herself will return in the new series, but expect references to the original movie.
Roberts has previously expressed interest in revisiting the franchise, noting that the film has found a new generation of fans through TikTok. With Disney now expanding the story into a television series, longtime viewers and newcomers alike will soon have the chance to dive back into the magical world of Aquamarine.
