Emma Roberts leads Disney's 20-year comeback of a beloved family fantasy adventure

So, Disney's on a bit of a streak lately when it comes to dusting off noughties' favourites — especially the ones aimed squarely at millennial women (and, let’s be honest, a fair few blokes as well). After scoring big with things like Freakier Friday (yes, that’s the real title) and that frankly unexpected blockbuster, The Devil Wears Prada 2, they’re now having another go with Aquamarine. If you’d forgotten this one existed, don’t worry — you’re not alone.

Aquamarine: The Next Generation (Literally)

Official word is that Disney+ and Disney Channel have put in an order for a pilot episode of a new Aquamarine series. Emma Roberts, who starred in the original mermaid film before she got entangled in American Horror Story and the like, is coming back for the pilot. She’s not just showing her face, either — she’ll be executive producing the thing. The original film's director, Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, will also be back in charge of proceedings, with Sarah Watson (she worked on Percy Jackson, which is probably better writing than you’d expect for mermaid telly) on script duties.

Here’s the rough setup for the pilot: you’ve got a teenager named Coral who relocates to a seaside town, and things get straight-up magical. The official logline is:

'She begins unraveling 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.'

Now, if you raised an eyebrow at the name Coral, yes, it’s almost offensively on the nose. And if you’re guessing that Coral is Aquamarine's daughter, you’re not mad — that’s absolutely what they’re hinting at. This follows Disney’s recent habit of spinning up next-gen sequels where the legacy character's kid takes over, like Girl Meets World or the newer Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.

There’s no official word yet on whether Sara Paxton, who played Aquamarine in 2006, will turn up (maybe as Coral's elusive mum), but if they stick to the formula, that seems pretty likely.

A Quick Refresher: What Was Aquamarine?

• Source material: 2001 YA novel by Alice Hoffman (who also wrote Practical Magic, little trivia there)
• Main cast: Emma Roberts as Claire Brown, pop star JoJo as Hailey Rogers, and Sara Paxton as the titular mermaid, Aquamarine. There’s also Jake McDorman as the local lifeguard love interest
• Plot: Claire and Hailey discover a real mermaid (Aquamarine) who’s legged it (or finned it?) away from an arranged marriage. Mermaid wants to shack up with a lifeguard called Raymond, shenanigans and heartfelt lessons about friendship ensue
• Release: Came out March 2006, distributed by 20th Century Fox (since gobbled up by Disney, obviously)
• Critical/fan reception: Critics were nonplussed (53% on Rotten Tomatoes), and it made a modest $23 million at the box office off a $12 million budget
• Legacy: Despite the lukewarm maths, the film picked up a dedicated following, especially among Gen Z and younger millennials. Singer Chappell Roan even cited it as an influence for her music video for 'Casual' in 2022. So, you know, it's got unconventional staying power

Final note for keen-eyed viewers: these Disney pop-culture sequels seem to be working outrageously well financially. The Devil Wears Prada 2, for instance, has already raked in $677 million and outperformed massive franchises like The Mandalorian and the new Mortal Kombat at the global box office. That explains why Disney keeps digging through its catalogue for the next nostalgia fix.