Credit: DisneyOn Wednesday, Disney Branded Television revealed the theme song for the latest installment in The Little Mermaid franchise. Disney Jr.’s Ariel, an animated musical show aimed at preschoolers, premieres on Disney Junior this summer.
The series follows Disney Princess Ariel and friends old and new, including Sebastian and Flounder. The young Disney characters undertake magical adventures in the fairytale kingdom of Atlantica. The series is said to celebrate Caribbean culture through food, fashion, language, and folklore while encouraging self-expression, curiosity, and resourcefulness.
This isn’t the first TV show inspired by The Little Mermaid (1989). Original voice actors Jodi Benson (Ariel), Pat Carroll (Ursula), Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian), and Kenneth Mars (King Triton) reprised their roles for three seasons of The Little Mermaid television series. It aired from 1992 to 1994.
Animators modeled eight-year-old Ariel after Halle Bailey in the live-action The Little Mermaid (2023). Unlike its predecessor, the live-action cast, including Bailey, Melissa McCarthy (Ursula), Jonah Hauer-King (Prince Eric), Javier Bardem (King Triton), Daveed Diggs (Sebastian), Awkwafina (Scuttle), and Jacob Tremblay (Flounder) will not return to reprise their roles in Disney Jr.’s Ariel.
Instead, the series features Mykal-Michelle Harris as Ariel, Gracen Newton as Flounder, Amber Riley as Ursula, Kevin Michael Richardson as Sebastian, and Taye Diggs as King Triton. New characters Lucia, Fernie, Alanna, Ayanna, Tantie Chantale, Cristina Cuttles, and Ravi are voiced by Elizabeth Phoenix Caro, Cruz Flateau, Jessica Mikayla, Dana Heath, Danni Washington, Alanna Ubach, and Parvesh Cheena.
Alan Menken won’t return to score the musical series. It features original, Caribbean-inspired music composed by Emmy Award winner Christopher Willis. Songwriters include Anthony M. Jones, Sofia Quinn, Olivia Waithe, Chantry Johnson, Michelle Zarlenga and Rosemarie Tan. Professors Sean Skeete and Dr. Patricia Saunders served as Caribbean music and cultural consultants, respectively.
Alongside Wednesday’s theme song reveal, Disney announced new recurring cast members: Yvette Nicole Brown (Aquatica), Melissa Villaseñor (Navi), and Ron Funches (Delfino). Disney Jr.’s Ariel is produced by Lynne Southerland.
Starting June 5, Walt Disney Studios will release a series of two-minute shorts called Ariel’s Mermaid Tales, highlighting Ariel’s life in Atlantica.
Disney Jr.’s Ariel premieres on Disney Junior on Thursday, June 27, at 9:00 a.m. EST/PST. The first eight episodes will be available on Disney+ on Friday, June 28. The soundtrack starts streaming on all platforms on the same day. Toys, apparel, and other Disney Jr.’s Ariel products will hit shelves throughout the summer.
Do you prefer the live-action or animated version of The Little Mermaid? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.