Disney has announced that 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.
According to an Agence France-Presse report, “Disney Junior’s Ariel,” a musical series for toddlers, is currently in production and is due for release next year.
It is set to showcase the underwater adventures of Ariel, the eight-year-old mermaid princess, and her friends including Flounder in the fairytale kingdom of Atlantica.
“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,” Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, a subsidiary dedicated to television content, said.
“I’m also very excited to have a character that my daughter can sort of identify and see herself in,” Davis added.
The plan is not a minor consideration for Disney. It has 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.
In 2009, Disney’s first black princess appeared as Tiana in the animated feature “The Princess and the Frog.”
