Disney+ Fantasy Pilot 'Aquamarine' Sets North Carolina Shoot for Summer 2026 With Jesse Peretz Directing

Disney Branded Television has a new fantasy pilot in development that should be on every family-genre crew member's radar right now. 'Aquamarine,' a coming-of-age mermaid story aimed squarely at Disney+'s family and teen audience, is gearing up for a principal photography start in North Carolina in August 2026. With a seasoned creative team already in place and Margery Simkin and Orly Sitowitz heading up casting, the production is moving with clear intention, and the window to get in front of the right people is open.

Helming the pilot is Jesse Peretz, a director with a genuinely eclectic resume that spans prestige television and feature work. Peretz has directed episodes of 'GLOW,' 'The Morning Show,' 'Nurse Jackie,' and 'Girls,' among many others, and has built a reputation as a director with strong instincts for character-driven storytelling and performance. His experience working within ensemble casts and on productions with significant emotional texture makes him a strong fit for a story centered on identity, first love, and family. Crews who have worked with Peretz describe sets that prioritize performance and story, so expect a tone-focused production where creative collaboration is valued.

The script comes from a pair of writers with serious television pedigrees. Sarah Watson is best known as the creator of 'The Bold Type,' the Freeform drama that ran for five seasons and built a devoted following for its warm, aspirational tone and character-forward storytelling. That sensibility maps directly onto what 'Aquamarine' appears to be going for. Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum brings directing and writing experience across family and teen programming, having worked on projects including 'Ramona and Beezus' and various Disney Channel productions, which makes her a natural creative partner for this particular platform and audience. Producing is Susan Cartsonis, whose credits include the original 2006 theatrical film 'Aquamarine,' which starred Emma Roberts and JoJo. That connection is significant: Cartsonis is not just a producer attached to a similar property, she is the originating producer of the source material, which suggests a genuine creative continuity rather than a studio retread.

The project is being produced under the banner of Resonate Entertainment in partnership with Disney Branded Television. Resonate is Susan Cartsonis's production company, and the studio relationship here is a direct Disney partnership, which tells you a great deal about the production's ambitions. Disney Branded Television is the label responsible for Disney Channel and Disney+ original content aimed at younger and family audiences, encompassing everything from animated series to live-action movies and event pilots. Their productions at this level typically carry meaningful budgets with full union crew, organized around the expectation of either a series order or a standalone streaming premiere. For crew, a Disney Branded Television attachment means infrastructure, resources, and the kind of schedule and support that comes with a major studio operation.

North Carolina is the confirmed filming location, with the August 2026 start date giving the production roughly six months of runway from now for pre-production buildout. North Carolina has been a consistently active production hub for decades, anchored by EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington and supported by a robust state film incentive program that offers a 25 percent rebate on qualifying expenses. Wilmington in particular has an exceptionally deep local crew base built up over years of continuous production, from 'Dawson's Creek' and 'One Tree Hill' through 'Iron Man 3' and 'Bolden.' For a fantasy-inflected production with aquatic elements, the coastal geography around Wilmington also offers genuine production value that cannot be replicated on a stage. Charlotte is another common base for North Carolina productions, though the coastal and aquatic nature of this story strongly suggests Wilmington or the surrounding Cape Fear region as the likely hub. Local crew in the Wilmington area should be watching this one closely.

The logline and genre signals point to a production that will require a strong art department, creative visual effects work to realize the mermaid elements, and a thoughtful costume and makeup department to bring the fantasy components to life practically. Aquatic shooting, even partial, adds layers of complexity to the camera and grip departments, the locations team, and the health and safety operation. Given that the story centers on a teen protagonist navigating a magical summer, the locations department will likely be building out a visually rich coastal world, and the production designer will have significant creative scope. With Margery Simkin attached as casting director alongside Orly Sitowitz, agents and managers representing young adult and teen talent should be positioning their clients now. Simkin's credits include 'Argo,' 'Zero Dark Thirty,' and multiple Marvel productions, a level of pedigree that signals this pilot is being taken seriously at every level of the process.

ProductionList.com has the full listing for 'Aquamarine,' including production office contact information, crew list updates, and scheduling details as they are confirmed. With filming still roughly six months out, the production is in the prime window for department head conversations and early pre-production staffing. If you are a North Carolina-based crew member, a family or fantasy genre specialist, or a department head looking for a well-supported Disney project with genuine creative ambition, this is the listing to bookmark and revisit regularly as the production moves toward its summer cameras-up date.

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