Disney+ Orders New “Aquamarine” Pilot
Disney loves diving into its vast franchise vault for ideas for new films and shows, with Disney+ now developing a new pilot based on the popular 2006 movie “Aquamarine”.
The original film was released twenty years ago and told the story of two young girls, who are best friends, about to be separated because one of them must move away with her mother, and discover a mermaid named Aquamarine in the murky swimming pool of an ageing beach club. The two girls embark on an adventure to help the mermaid, who has fallen in love with the club’s lifeguard, but will be forced by her father into an arranged marriage, unless she finds proof of love within three days on land.
In the pilot, when teenage Coral moves to a dreamy seaside town, she begins unravelling the truth behind her mother’s disappearance—and discovers her mother was a mermaid, awakening magical powers in Coral just as secrets beneath the waves threaten to surface.
Disney+ has given a pilot order to the series, which will be a revival/sequel to the original film, as Emma Roberts, who starred in the original film as Claire, will be returning to reprise her role as a guest star. She will also be an executive producer on the show, along with the original film’s director, Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum and producer Susan Cartsonis. Sarah Watson, who created “The Bold Type”, is writing the pilot for the show.
No other details on this new pilot, such as who else will star in it, when it might go into production, or when it might be released on Disney+.
As with any pilot in development, it’s important to note that things can change, such as who’s creating it or even if it will make it onto Disney+.
While we wait for this new series, you can check out the original “Aquamarine” movie on Disney+.
Roger’s Take: Disney+ has been heavily promoting “Aquamarine” on its social media accounts for years, plus it’ll have the stats from Disney+ that give them some hard stats about the interest in this franchise. Disney also has had great success with stories about mermaids, and Disney+ is in desperate need of a show for kids and families, so this could work. Though I wonder if they will lean in on nostalgia or go more in the direction of finding a new audience, likely in younger characters than in the movie, as we saw with the revival of “Wizards of Waverly Place”.
Are you looking forward to watching “Aquamarine”? series Let me know on social media!
