A series adaptation of the 2006 film Aquamarine has received a pilot order for Disney+ and Disney Channel, Variety reports.
Emma Roberts, who starred in the original film, will guest star as Claire Brown in the pilot, with Roberts also serving as an executive producer. The project is the brainchild of screenwriter Sarah Watson, and will be directed and executive produced by filmmaker Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum. Susan Cartsonis, who produced the film, will also serve as executive producer. The original film, based on Alice Hoffman’s novel of the same name, was written by John Quaintos and Jessica Bender. Quintans, Bender and Hoffman were not involved in the pilot.
The pilot’s logline reads, “When teenage Coral moves to a dreamy seaside town, she begins to uncover the truth behind her mother’s disappearance. Then she discovers that her mother was a mermaid, and just as secrets beneath the waves threaten to surface, Coral’s magical powers awaken.”
In addition to Roberts, “Aquamarine” also starred Joanna “JoJo” Levesque, Sara Paxton, Jake McDorman and Ariel Kebbell. In the film, best friends Claire (Roberts) and Haley (Levesque) try to help mermaid Aquamarine (Paxton) find true love. The film wasn’t particularly well received when it was first released, but has since gained cult status.
Since starring in “Aquamarine,” Roberts has gone on to appear in films such as “We’re the Mirrors,” “Palo Alto,” and “The Art of Getting By.” On television, she is known for her frequent collaboration with Ryan Murphy and has appeared on multiple seasons of “American Horror Story” and the Fox show “Scream Queens.”
Watson previously created the popular Freeform series “The Bold Type,” which aired for five seasons. She recently wrote multiple episodes of the Disney+ series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” and produced the CBS medical drama “Pure Genius.”
In addition to directing “Aquamarine,” Rosenbaum has also directed episodes of shows such as “Gossip Girl,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “All American,” “Empire,” “Ginny & Georgia,” and “Dead to Me.”
Watson is repped by Verve and Range Media Partners. Rosenbaum is repped by WME and Mackin Frankel Whitehead. Mr. Roberts is repped by UTA, Sweeney Entertainment, Felker Toczek and Shelter PR.
This is the latest example of Disney looking to reboot one of its film properties as a TV series. Disney+ previously issued pilot orders for film adaptations of Holes and Witch Mountain. Disney has also recently ordered pilots for shows like Coven Academy, which will go to series in 2025, as well as an upcoming pilot for an adaptation of the Creepy Elementary book.
