Emma Roberts’ First Film in a Leading Role Hit Theaters 20 Years Ago Today

This film may have changed Emma Roberts‘ life.

20 years ago on Tuesday, the teen romantic comedy film Aquamarine was released in theaters by 20th Century Fox. The movie, which starred Roberts, Sara Paxton and Joanna “JoJo” Levesque, follows Claire and Hailey (Roberts and JoJo), who discover that mermaids do exist while on a summer vacation in Florida. They meet a sassy mermaid named Aquamarine (Paxton), who is determined to prove to her father that real love exists, and asks the girls to help her win the heart of Raymond (Jake McDorman), a lifeguard. The plot is loosely based on the 2001 novel with the same title written by Alice Hoffman.

On its opening weekend in 2006, Aquamarine grossed $7.5 million in theaters across the country, ranking at No. 5 in the box office. By the end of its theatrical run, the film made $18.6 million domestically and $4.4 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $23 million. Since its release, the movie has become a cult classic, especially for Gen-Z. Singer Chappell Roan even revealed that the music video for her 2022 hit song “Casual” was inspired by Aquamarine.

JoJo, Sara Paxton and Emma Roberts at the Fox Studio Lot in Los Angeles, California

Though Roberts already made her acting debut in 2001 as Kristina Jung, the daughter of Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz’s characters, in Blow, and was starring as the lead character Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon sitcomUnfabulous from 2004 to 2007, Aquamarine was the first time the actress had the leading lady role in a film. Roberts was only 14 years old when she filmed Aquamarine, and it served as her transition from Nickelodeon to teen film lead. This role also helped shape her mid-2000s coming-of-age image.

After Aquamarine, Roberts appeared in a string of films throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, including Nancy Drew, Wild Child, Hotel for Dogs, Valentine‘s Day and The Art of Getting By. As she got older, she started acting in more mature films, including Scream 4, Adult World, We’re The Millers, Paradise Hills, Madame Web, as well as TV shows like Scream Queens and American Horror Story.

Now, the 35-year-old actress is currently focusing on producing and starring in new projects, including the upcoming Netflix TV series Calabasas with Kim Kardashian. In addition, Roberts continues to run her book club, Belletrist, and its production company.

Fans can watch Aquamarine on Disney+.

This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Movies section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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