Zach Cregger, the director behind the 2026 Resident Evil reboot, has revealed a creative vision that would transform the 2006 teen fantasy Aquamarine into a horror film. According to reported claims from a recent interview, Cregger’s pitch centers on bringing back original star Sara Paxton, but with a dark twist that subverts the bubbly, romantic tone of the source material.
The proposed concept would feature Sara Paxton as a “really deadly mermaid,” shifting the narrative from a coming-of-age story about friendship into the realm of creature-based horror. The original 2006 film followed a mermaid who washed ashore and sought the help of two teenage girls to prove to her father that love exists.
The Logic Behind the Horror Pivot
The motivation for the pitch is rooted in both personal and professional history. Cregger and Paxton have been married since October 2019, and the director’s interest in the project stems from a desire to collaborate on a genre-bending revival of his wife’s early career-defining role.
While Paxton is widely remembered for the family-friendly original, she has since built a significant resume in the horror genre. Her performances in films such as The Innkeepers and the 2009 remake of The Last House on the Left have established her as a capable genre lead, making the transition to a “deadly” version of Aquamarine a logical progression for her current filmography.
Cregger’s standing in the industry provides significant weight to such an unconventional idea. His 2026 Resident Evil reboot has grossed $196.5 million at the global box office, success that typically affords directors greater creative freedom and the “leverage” required to pitch radical reimaginings of existing intellectual properties.
Competing Visions for the Franchise
Cregger’s horror-centric vision faces a potential conflict with established plans for the franchise. Disney+ has reportedly ordered a family-friendly Aquamarine continuation series. This separate project is expected to see Emma Roberts, who starred alongside Paxton and JoJo Levesque in the original movie, return to the world of the 2006 film.
Unlike Cregger’s R-rated or high-tension concept, the Disney+ series is intended to remain a family-oriented continuation. As such, Cregger’s pitch remains a creative ambition rather than an active production, highlighting a growing trend where directors seek to apply modern horror sensibilities to nostalgic properties from the early 2000s.
