Nickelodeon and Paramount+ are rolling out a themed package of Dora episodes internationally to freshen up the 25-year-old franchise with a mermaid throughline. 

DORA: Magic Mermaid Adventures is a one-hour collection of four brand-new episodes in which Dora and her monkey pal Boots turn into mermaids to make new underwater friends, plus a birthday-themed one that sees the exploring duo go on a mission to find Dora’s lost birthday cake. It will premiere in more than 3,000 theaters in 17 countries, starting on September 18. 

Paramount Pictures will distribute DORA: Magic Mermaid Adventures in markets including the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Australia/New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil and Chile. And Paramount is supporting the theatrical release with related audio and YouTube content. A new podcast called Dora’s Mermaid Adventures (10 episodes) will drop on all major audio entertainment platforms on September 15. And Nickelodeon is also animating six of the podcast’s episodes for a YouTube release on September 17 (the Dora & Friends channel has 2.6 million subscribers). 

Dora the Explorer has tried on many alter egos over the years, including ice skater and fairy tale princess. But it’s the mermaid-themed episodes of the series that have always been “among the most popular in the franchise’s 25-year history,” Paramount tells Kidscreen. In fact, an ep in which Dora becomes a mermaid is currently the second most popular video on the Dora & Friends YouTube channel, with 56 million views.  

Releasing new Dora content to cinemas rounds out the brand’s franchise footprint, according to Paramount. The 25-year-old IP already has content on streaming, linear TV and YouTube—plus podcasts, music and location-based experiences. So a theatrical release is a logical next step. Releasing the content now is also a good way to hype up the brand’s 25th anniversary this year, and in the US it aligns with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, Paramount points out.

Dora the Explorer premiered on Nickelodeon in 2000, and it has spawned two spinoff series and a 2024 reboot show since. The brand also boasts two feature-length films, including Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado, which was released simultaneously on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ on July 2. Before that, Dora and the Lost City of Gold rolled out theatrically in 2019 and grossed US$120.6 million worldwide against a US$49-million budget.