Disney+ has officially ordered a pilot for Aquamarine, a new series based on the 2006 teen fantasy film. According to Deadline, Emma Roberts (We’re the Millers, Hotel for Dogs, American Horror Story) will reprise her role as Claire Brown while also serving as an executive producer on the project.
Written by Sarah Watson (The Bold Type, Pure Genius, Percy Jackson and the Olympians), the pilot follows teenager Coral as she moves to a picturesque seaside town and begins investigating the disappearance of her mother. Along the way, she discovers her mother was a mermaid, awakening magical abilities of her own as dangerous secrets beneath the ocean begin to surface.
The original Aquamarine film, directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum (Dead to Me, Purple Hearts, Ginny & Georgia), starred Roberts alongside Joanna “JoJo” Levesque (All American, Extinction, Lethal Weapon) and Sara Paxton (The Last House on the Left, The Innkeepers, Based on a True Story). Other original cast members include Jake McDorman (What We Do in the Shadows, Lady Bird, Mrs. Davis), Arielle Kebbel (John Tucker Must Die, The Uninvited, The Grudge 2), Claudia Karvan (Love My Way, Bump, The Secret Life of Us), and Tammin Sursok (Pretty Little Liars, Crossing Over, Rules of Engagement).
Loosely based on Alice Hoffman’s (Practical Magic, Independence Day, The Dovekeepers) 2001 young adult novel, the original film follows best friends Claire and Hailey after they discover a mermaid named Aquamarine washed ashore following a big storm. In exchange for helping prove that true love exists, Aquamarine offers to grant the girls one wish. Since its release, the film has developed a cult following.
In addition to reprising her role, Roberts will executive produce the series alongside Rosenbaum, Susan Cartsonis (What Women Want, Where the Heart Is, Descendants 3), and Watson. The series is being developed for both Disney+ and Disney Channel.
A premiere date for Aquamarine has not yet been announced.