Updated

Updated · Port City Daily · Jun 23

Disney Branded Television Starts Filming 'Saltwater' Pilot in August After 13,000 Casting Submissions

Updated

Updated · Port City Daily · Jun 23

Disney Branded Television Starts Filming 'Saltwater' Pilot in August After 13,000 Casting Submissions

Q: Following its buzzy Wilmington pilot, what became of Disney’s ambitious mermaid series, “Salt Water”?

Disney’s “Salt Water” appears to have stalled after the Wilmington pilot and, as of June 2026, there is no public evidence that it was picked up to series, released, or formally announced for Disney+ or Disney Channel. What is publicly documented is the project’s strong development push in 2025: a pilot shoot in Wilmington, North Carolina, an official listing with the regional film commission, and a high-profile creative team including Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, Sarah Watson, Jesse Peretz, and producer Susan Cartsonis. Trade and local reporting also showed significant casting interest, with roughly 13,000 submissions for the lead roles. But the available reporting stops at the pilot stage. The articles and production listings confirmed pre-production and August filming plans, while also stressing a key industry reality: a pilot order does not guarantee a full series order. No follow-up announcement in the provided reporting indicates that Disney moved ahead with a season pickup. The title confusion around “Salt Water” and “Aquamarine” added buzz, especially because Rosenbaum directed the 2006 mermaid film “Aquamarine,” but that speculation did not translate into a publicly confirmed franchise launch. So the clearest answer is that “Salt Water” generated attention as an ambitious Disney mermaid pilot in Wilmington, but it has not, at least publicly, progressed into an announced series. In industry terms, it appears to have remained an unpicked-up or unreleased pilot.

Q: Was the pilot a secret reboot of the movie 'Aquamarine,' and did it ever see the light of day?

No. It was not a “secret” reboot of *Aquamarine*. Trade reports and casting materials tied the project openly to the 2006 mermaid film. The pilot was variously referred to as *Salt Water* and *Aquamarine*, and the creative team strongly signaled a direct connection: Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, who directed the 2006 movie, was attached again, along with original producer Susan Cartsonis. Additional reporting said Emma Roberts was expected to executive produce and guest star, reprising Claire Brown. That points to an acknowledged TV continuation or reimagining, not a hidden reboot. As for whether it ever surfaced, there is no clear public evidence that it did. The project was in pre-production, listed for Wilmington filming in August, and casting drew heavy interest. But the available reporting stops at the pilot stage. There is no confirmed record in the provided material that the pilot was released, picked up to series, or publicly screened. So the best-supported answer is that *Salt Water/Aquamarine* was an openly connected TV pilot based on the *Aquamarine* property, but it does not appear to have “seen the light of day” in any public-facing way, at least based on the reporting available here.

2 articles · Updated · Port City Daily · Jun 23

August filming is set to begin in Wilmington for Disney Branded Television’s fantasy pilot “Saltwater,” which is now in pre-production and listed with the Wilmington Regional Film Commission.
13,000 submissions came in through May for lead and supporting roles, including 15-year-old protagonist Coral, a girl who moves to a seaside town and discovers she is a mermaid.
Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum is attached as director-writer, with Sarah Watson, Jesse Peretz and producer Susan Cartsonis also linked to the project; no cast has been announced.
Local officials in New Hanover County, Wilmington and Carolina Beach said film permits have not yet been filed, even as trade outlets also reported the August start.
Wilmington has hosted only two productions setting up this year so far, with “Saltwater” arriving just after “The Summer I Turned Pretty” wrapped local filming this month.