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.

"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.

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"I'm super excited about Ariel, I certainly didn't think we would have an iconic character like Ariel in a pre-school play world," said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, a subsidiary dedicated to television content.

"I'm also very excited to have a character that my daughter can sort of identify and see herself in."

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."

Agence France-Presse