‘Disney Junior’s Ariel’ Animated Series On the Way Inspired by Halle Bailey’s ‘Little Mermaid’

Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has been garnering box-office success and strong soundtrack streaming tallies alike, and the new version of the 1989 classic can now add another accolade. On Tuesday (June 13), Disney Branded Television announced that it greenlit a new animated series titled Disney Junior’s Ariel inspired by Halle Bailey‘s Ariel.

Intended for preschoolers, the new series is based on the classic story of The Little Mermaid and will follow an 8-year-old Ariel on new journeys and adventures in Atlantica and beyond. Other beloved Little Mermaid characters set to appear in the series include King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian and Flounder. Ariel’s two best friends, merchildren named Lucia and Fernie, will make their debut.

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The first peek at the character designs for Disney Junior’s Ariel reveal a young Ariel inspired by Bailey’s version of the iconic Disney princess. Complete with flowing red locs and rich brown skin, the young Ariel of the new animated series will carry the legacy of Halle’s live-action performance. Disney Junior’s Ariel will also highlight the multicultural diversity of the Caribbean under cultural consultant Dr. Patrice Saunders, professor of English and hemispheric Caribbean studies at the University of Miami. Chair of Berklee College of Music’s ensemble department Sean Skeete will serve as the series’ Caribbean music consultant.

Bailey’s turn as Ariel in The Little Mermaid helped carry the film and its accompanying soundtrack to much success. To date, the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has earned more than $417 million at the worldwide box office, and the accompanying soundtrack — which features contributions from original composer Alan Menken, alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Jonah Hauer-King and Awkwafina — climbed to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Soundtracks chart and No. 21 on the Billboard 200, surpassing the peak of the original soundtrack on both charts.