Disney Orders Aquamarine Pilot with Emma Roberts Returning

Disney has ordered a pilot for a television series sequel to the 2006 cult film "Aquamarine," with original star Emma Roberts set to return. The project, for Disney and Disney Channel, will see Roberts guest star as her character Claire Brown and serve as an executive producer.

The pilot will be written by Sarah Watson, creator of "The Bold Type" and a writer on Disney's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians." Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, who directed the original film, is attached to direct and executive produce the pilot. Original film producer Susan Cartsonis will also executive produce.

The new story shifts focus to a teenage protagonist named Coral, who moves to a seaside town and begins investigating her mother's disappearance. She discovers her mother was a mermaid, awakening magical powers within herself as secrets from beneath the ocean surface begin to emerge. The plot establishes a new narrative while leaving room for connections to the original film.

Released in March 2006 and based on Alice Hoffman's 2001 young adult novel, the original "Aquamarine" starred Roberts and Joanna "JoJo" Levesque as best friends who discover a mermaid, played by Sara Paxton, and help her find...