Disney Junior has unveiled some first-look promo images (via Toonado.com) for its upcoming animated The Little Mermaid spin-off, Ariel, giving us a glimpse of the character designs for King Triton, Ursula the Sea Witch, and the aquatic heroine of the title.
The network has also announced the voice-cast, with Mykal-Michelle Harris (Raven’s Home) as Ariel, Taye Diggs (Rent) as King Triton, Amber Riley (Glee) as Ursula, and Gracen Newton (Puppy Dog Pals) as Ariel's pal Flounder.
Though this show is billed as a spin-off, these are actually new takes on the characters, suggesting that Ariel takes place in a separate continuity to the recent live-action remake.
Check out the promo images below.
"Set in the fantastical Caribbean-inspired underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the series follows Ariel as she embarks on fun-filled, action-packed mermaid adventures with her friends. Driven by a deep and unending curiosity about the world around her, Ariel discovers land treasures, like a big floppy hat, squeaky rubber ducky, and whisk, that she collects and keeps safe in her crystal cavern. Sometimes, Ariel uses the treasures to help solve problems.
With each discovery, Ariel is filled with joy, and her mermaid tail, which changes colors depending on her emotions, lights up and shimmers. Full of charm, big ideas and a powerful voice, “Disney Junior’s Ariel” is coming into her own, learning how to discover and appreciate the world around her and use her voice to inspire others."
Disney Junior’s Ariel is executive produced by Lynne Southerland. Norma P. Sepulveda and Keith Wagner are the story editors. Ezra Edmond is producer. Kuni Tomita Bowen is supervising director, and Chrystin Garland is art director. The series is produced by Wild Canary in association with Disney Junior.
No premiere date has been announced, but Ariel is expected to debut at some point next year.