A brand-new take on The Little Mermaid

The latest fantasy-adventure liveaction independent remake of The Lit

tle Mermaid, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s novel, stars Poppy

Drayton (photo) of Downton Abbey, William Moseley (Chronicles of Narnia,

The Royals), Loreto Peralta, Armando Gutierrez and Shirley MacLaine.

First published in 1837 about a mermaid’s sacrifice for love, the latest adaptation is a brand-new take on Anderson’s timeless tale, written and directed by Blake Harris.

Produced by independent studios Kingsway Productions and Conglomerate Media, The Little Mermaid unfolds with an old grandmother telling her two granddaughters the story of a fascinating beautiful mermaid. William plays a reporter who has started following a story about a mermaid and a magical healing water. Together with his sick niece, they travel to a small town in Mississippi to uncover a legend. There, they go to a circus and encounter a beautiful mermaid trapped in a glass tank. They are further amazed when the mermaid appears before them as a young woman with legs.

Poppy, who stars in the titular role, said in previous interviews that she’s hugely fascinated with mermaids. William, who has visited the Philippines previously, said in local interviews that the movie didn’t have the same budget as Disney’s but it’s also a film with a lot of heart. From Axinite Digicinema, The Little

Mermaid opens in cinemas nationwide on Aug. 8.