Volkswacht Bodensee - Disney to turn updated 'Little Mermaid' into TV series

NYSE - LSE
CMSD 0.72% 22.35 $
BCC -2.96% 71.29 $
JRI -0.77% 13 $
CMSC 0.14% 22.01 $
RBGPF -0.68% 67.86 $
GSK -1.52% 52.52 $
NGG 0.5% 83.53 $
RIO -2.76% 88.8 $
BTI -0.67% 61.39 $
BCE 0.23% 21.45 $
AZN -2.03% 189.28 $
VOD 0.31% 13.09 $
RELX -2.37% 32.05 $
RYCEF -3.54% 18.62 $
BP 1.53% 39.21 $
Disney to turn updated 'Little Mermaid' into TV series
Disney to turn updated 'Little Mermaid' into TV series / Photo: © AFP

Disney to turn updated 'Little Mermaid' into TV series

Disney on Tuesday announced a new animated children's series inspired by its 1989 film "The Little Mermaid," which like the live-action adaptation released last month will feature a black Ariel.

Text size:

"Disney Junior's Ariel", a musical series for toddlers, is currently in production and is due for release next year.

It depicts the underwater adventures of Ariel, the eight-year-old mermaid princess, and her friends including Flounder in the fairytale Caribbean-inspired kingdom of Atlantica.

Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, a subsidiary dedicated to television content, said she was excited to have a character her daughter could relate to.

The plan is not a minor consideration for Disney. It faced a racist backlash online after it awarded the role of Ariel to pop singer Halle Bailey for the recently released remake, as opposed to a white actress as in the original.

The house of mouse, which in recent years stepped up its diversity advocacy, is locked in a standoff with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is seen as a rival to Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

Disney's first black princess appeared only in 2009 as Tiana in the animated feature "The Princess and the Frog."

J.Fankhauser--BTB