“I love being a woman. It’s important to me to celebrate us, and I feel so grateful to have had the chance to, um, help develop, um, different female characters.”
Latasha M. Ford with Awards Buzz had the pleasure of speaking with Lynn Southerland about Southerland’s passion for celebrating women in film, drawing from her experiences working on projects such as “Mulan” and “Bebe’s Kids” below. Mrs. Southerland has frequently discussed the opportunities these projects provided to explore complex female characters and the significant messages they convey to young audiences. She particularly highlights Ariel’s message of resilience for preschoolers and the lasting impact of such characters.
Mrs. Southerland has also spoken about her early exposure to Disney animation, which fueled her passion for the medium. Furthermore, she has discussed the recent Season 2 renewal of her animated series, including details about character development and its anticipated release date.
“Disney Jr.’s Ariel” is an animated musical series for preschoolers, drawing inspiration from the cherished tale of “The Little Mermaid.”
The series chronicles the adventures of 8-year-old mermaid princess Ariel and her companions as they embark on engaging, action-packed underwater journeys throughout their Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and its surrounding areas. This series will feature beloved characters such as King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian, and Flounder, alongside new and exciting additions including Ariel’s two closest friends, mer-children Lucia and Fernie, and a variety of other delightful sea creatures.
Official Trailer:
“I want them to be inspired to own who they are. So I, think that’s why, not just Ariel, but her crew each represents something different, but they’re all kids.”
