Disney Jr. is ready to dive under the sea with its upcoming series, Disney Jr.’s Ariel , taking the curious and lively mermaid princess on a series of animated adventures that fans have never experienced before.
See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Set in the Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica, the series follows young Ariel (Mykal-Michelle Harris) as she embarks on underwater fun with her family and friends, including King Triton (Taye Diggs), Ursula (Amber Riley), Flounder (Gracen Newton) and mermaid friends Fernie (Cruz Flateau) and Lucia (Elizabeth Phoenix Caro). “I can’t even begin to tell you the enthusiasm in our workspace about putting this show together,” the series’ executive producer Lynne Southerland tells Billboard . “Everyone is really bringing their A-game.
We all feel really honored to be moving the magic Ariel into a new space, a new way of seeing her and a new audience.” As to how this version of Ariel differs from the princess seen in the original 1989 film and the sub-sequent 2023 live-action film, Southerland says that the Disney Jr. mermaid is young but sure of herself.
“It was very important to me that Ariel exudes a sense of personal agency, that she already kind of knows who she is at eight years old and we’re just watching her continue to grow and expand that sense of self,” she says. “We started with a core element of Ariel, which is her beautiful voice — but what are the many w.