The Little Mermaid Live Action Movie (non-Disney, 2018)

[veu]

From Deadline:

‘The Little Mermaid’ Trailer: Live-Action Film Makes Debut Splash

EXCLUSIVE: The first trailer for the live-action version of The Little Mermaid from Conglomerate Media and Kingsway Productions has just been released. This is not Disney’s film, but is based on the famed fairytale from Hans Christian Andersen and stars a solid cast: Shirley MacLaine, Downton Abbey‘s Poppy Drayton, William Moseley (The Chronicles of Narnia), Loreto Peralta (Instructions Not Included) and Gina Gershon (Empire). The film is being planned for release this year.

This take on the 1837 classic centers on a young girl (Peralta) and her older brother (Moseley), a reporter, who travels to a small town in Mississippi to find a woman believed to be the real Little Mermaid. The film is directed by Blake Harris and Chris Bouchard from a screenplay by Harris. The executive producer is Jessica Steinbrenner.

Swen Group is handling the international distribution. Florida-based production companies behind this film was founded by Armando Gutierrez and Robert Molloy who are producing.


Trailer:

[solarlunarxiii]

This is a pretty interesting take. Makes you wonder though if this means Disney isn't going to go through with their own live action remake? But even though this isn't really TLM we all know I bet it will be a nice movie. I love mermaids of all kind <3

[merprincess]

Ah, you beat me to it! There's at least 2 non-Disney TLM live action adaptations/re-imaginings/retellings/reboots (whatever they decide to call 'em), plus the Disney one that's been announced that Lin-Manuel Miranda will be involved with a few years out in the future -- crazy time for us TLM fans!

This doesn't seem to be directly based on the Andersen like I thought it would be. I've been following the development of these other TLM films for a while. I know Sofia Coppola was going to direct the Universal one, which I think is just called "A Little Mermaid", but then bowed out, as did Chloe Grace Moretz who was originally set to star as the mermaid. Chloe dropped all her upcoming films I believe, I don't remember the reason why. Anyway, I don't have any issue with this trailer so far, the film looks imaginative and different. I get a Big Fish vibe from it, and I love that film. Perhaps my only nitpick would be actually the title being (possibly intentionally) really misleading to fans of the Andersen story and the Disney story. As far as I know, this is not The Little Mermaid. It's a separate story about a mermaid, as I don't think she trades her voice for legs or falls in love with a prince. It's inspired by the Andersen story, but it has very little to do with it. Let alone the Disney film, but we all knew that. There have been a ton of web articles misleading people to believe this adaptation is the next Disney live action, which really bothers me because of the whole clickbait culture blah blah blah make more money etc. I do like deviations from the original anyway and by default I love anything having to do with mermaids so I'm curious as to how this will turn out and I'm definitely going to check it out!

Anyone else notice the little girl Claire Ryann Crosby who does Disney covers with her dad had a brief role in the trailer? At the very beginning, on the right, next to the other little girl who says "there's no such thing as mermaids" to Shirley MacLaine. She's so adorable and I'm glad she was able to get this role because of her success with web videos!
Here she is singing Part of Your World, so precious!

[buckmana]

Surprised they could actually get away with calling it that.
Not without legal repercussions that is.
I think that the original Little Mermaid is probably public domain, given the date of original publication, but the Disney version, it's highly unlikely they'd ever let it go public domain.

But it's always been my opinion that the original version is far too depressing for adults, let alone children, so I'm always wary of anything that may be related to it.

[veu]

From Flickeringmyth.com

Live-action The Little Mermaid adaptation gets a new trailer

MAY 13, 2018 BY AMIE CRANSWICK LEAVE A COMMENT

A new trailer has arrived online for Blake Harris and Chris Bouchard’s upcoming reimagining of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale The Little Mermaid. The fantasy adventure features a cast that includes William Moseley, Poppy Drayton, Shirley MacLaine, Gina Gershon, and Loreto Peralta; take a look here…

“A young reporter and his niece discover a beautiful and enchanting creature they believe to be the real little mermaid.”

The Little Mermaid is set to arrive in AMC Theatres on August 17th.

Here the new trailer:

[yougottaloveariel]

Welll IT IS COMING AND IF IT DOES WELL WILL THIS GET DISNEY TO GET OFF IT'S BIG FAT...………………………………………….censorship

[veu]

From Manilastandard:

Latest ‘The Little Mermaid’ adaptation in PH cinemas

The latest thrilling fantasy-adventure live-action independent remake of The Little Mermaid is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s novel that stars British actress Poppy Drayton (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 of The Little Mermaid 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 Moseley stars as a reporter who 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.
Drayton, who stars in the titular role said in previous interviews that she’s hugely fascinated with mermaids. Moseley who has visited the Philippines previously said in local interviews that the movie didn’t have the same budget as Disney’s but that it’s also a film with a lot of heart.
A very different The Little Mermaid splashes in Philippine cinemas nationwide on Wednesday, Aug. 8 from Axinite Digicinema.

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New trailer.

From HSBNoticias:

'La Sirenita': Mira aquí el tráiler y que no se parece en nada al de Disney

La historia del tradicional cuento de Hans Christian Andersen y Chris Bouchard, 'La Sirenita', tendrá una nueva versión y esta vez serpa con personajes reales.

La actriz mexicana, Loreto Peralta, quien participó en la película de Eugenio Derbez 'No se aceptan devoluciones' hará la nueva versión de esta hermosa historia.

A su lado estarán otros actores como William Moseley, Poppy Drayton, Diahann Carroll, William Forsythe y Gina Gershon.

La adaptación de 'La sirenita' a cargo de Blake Harris, contará la historia de un reportero que viaja con su hermana a un pueblito costero donde encontrarán a una criatura marina que considerarán la verdadera sirenita.

El dúo aprende de una profecía sobre de una niña pequeña nacida en tierra y bendecida con el corazón de una sirena.

El estreno de la nueva película está previsto para septiembre.

Here the new trailer:

[veu]

From Variety:

Pinstripe Productions Formed Following ‘The Little Mermaid’

Feature film veterans Robert Molloy, Kristian Krempel, and Joseph Restaino have formed Florida-based Pinstripe Productions.

The company takes its name from Molloy’s affiliation with the New York Yankees baseball team as the grandson of longtime owner George Steinbrenner. The sons, Harold and Hank Steinbrenner, inherited the team, sometimes known as the Pinstripers. Molloy, the son of Jessica Steinbrenner, began working with the team when he was in his teens.

Molloy’s first film, the live-action “The Little Mermaid,” will open theatrically on Aug. 17 in partnership with AMC Theaters. The film stars William Moseley, Poppy Drayton, Gina Gershon, and Shirley MacLaine.

“I am excited to be involved in this new partnership with talented people that continue to make art that will last a lifetime,” Molloy said. “My first experience on ‘The Little Mermaid’ was a very gratifying and humbling one.”


Krempel is the president at FX Group and has worked for more than 25 years as a marketing executive, brand ambassador, and strategic partnership executive. Clients have included the Grammy Awards, NFL, MLB, and ESPN. He’s a special adviser to Film Florida.

Restaino is a partner at Character Brigade with producing credits including “Apple of My Eye,” “Albion: The Enchanted Stallion,” “The Pretenders,” “Sex Ed,” and the upcoming “Killroy Was Here,” directed by Kevin Smith.

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From ABCActionNews:

"The Little Mermaid" World Premiere

The stars of the live-action feature The Little Mermaid, Poppy Drayton and William Moseley, along with director Blake Harris, will attend the world premiere on August 8 ahead of the nationwide release of the film beginning August 17, 2018 exclusively in AMC Theaters. The premiere will take place in downtown Tampa at the Tampa Theatre and will include a giant blue carpet and Mermaids from World Famous Weeki Wachee Springs State Park where underwater scenes of The Little Mermaid were filmed.

Video:

The Little Mermaid

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From BroadwayWorld:

Robert Molloy, Grandson of George Steinbrenner, Creates New Florida-Based Production Company, Pinstripe Productions

TV News Desk Aug. 10, 2018

Robert Molloy, grandson of George Steinbrenner, Kristian Krempel, President of FX Group and Joseph Restaino, Partner, Character Brigade have joined forces to create Pinstripe Productions, LLC, a new production company based in Florida. Pinstripe will focus on bringing film production back to the Sunshine State. Molloy, Krempel and Restaino will each retain the title of Partner in the new venture. The company's first project is currently in development and will start filming in the fall with a release planned for 2020.

"I am excited to be involved in this new partnership with talented people that continue to make art that will last a lifetime. My first experience on The Little Mermaid was a very gratifying and humbling one," stated Rob Molloy. "It was incredibly rewarding to see the finished product and positive reactions from the audience after many months of hard work."

"We are thrilled to be a part of boosting the economy of Florida by bringing film production to the area. Film production brings jobs, revenue, and infrastructure development and can even provide a significant boost to state tourism. Our new partnership has sprung from a shared vision and a love for making movies with excellence," said Kristian Krempel.

"I look forward to teaming up with Kristian and Robert as we put filmmakers with fresh perspectives and bold voices out into the world. Growing up in New Jersey, I have always been a New York Yankees fan and deeply admire the Steinbrenner family for their professionalism, humanitarian efforts and dedication to winning," added Joseph Restaino.

Rob Molloy's first film, The Little Mermaid, will open theatrically on August 17th in partnership with AMC Theaters. The Little Mermaid stars William Moseley (The Royals), Poppy Drayton (Downton Abbey), Gina Gershon and Shirley MacLaine. Molloy started his career at 13-years old in the Yankees organization, holding many different positions and working his way up. Rob also owns a racing stable and is heavily involved in the thoroughbred industry.

Kristian Krempel, president at FX Group, has over 25 years as a seasoned marketing executive, brand ambassador and strategic partnership executive. Collaborating with the most iconic brands in entertainment, sports and lifestyle, his past clients have included: GRAMMY Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Miss America, NFL, MLB, PGA and ESPN. His extensive experience in producing, branding and partnerships has led to his current position as Special Advisor to Film Florida, Special Advisor to the Board of Directors New Business Development at National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and Special Advisor to the Board of Governors Recording Academy. He was previously an Assistant Director at IMG where he honed his producing skills which led to his nomination for a Clio Award for the 57th and 60th GRAMMY AWARDS program books, a 27th Annual Awards for Publication Excellence recipient, a 2016 Maggie Awards Winner, and a 2018 Apex Grand Award Winner.

Producer Joe Restaino serves as First-Vice President of a major financial firm with over 16 years of experience. He began producing titles in 2012, which include Apple of My Eye (Sony) starring Amy Smart and Burt Reynolds; Albion: The Enchanted Stallion (Netflix) starring Jennifer Morrison, Debra Messing and John Cleese and the upcoming Killroy Was Here, directed by Kevin Smith set to release in 2019. Restaino has also served as Executive Producer on James Franco's The Pretenders written by Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) starring Franco and Dennis Quaid and Sex Ed starring Haley Joel Osment, which was released theatrically in 2014. He is currently in production on Skyman, with Director Daniel Myrick, who co-wrote and co-directed The Blair Witch Project. Joe has also founded and continues to serve on the boards and juries of several U.S. and international film festivals. He is proud to be an SIO member of Sundance Film Institute as well as a contributor to Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

[veu]

From CLTampa:

7 questions with Poppy Drayton and Will Moseley, stars of live-action The Little Mermaid.
It’s a Steinbrenner family production, filmed in part at Weeki Wachee Springs.
BEN WILEY AUG 10, 2018 1 PM

CL recently had the opportunity to talk with William Moseley and Poppy Drayton, the two leads in the new indie live-action production of The Little Mermaid.

The movie is essentially a Steinbrenner/Kingsway family production, as the lead producer is Rob Molloy, grandson of the inestimable George Steinbrenner.

Molloy grew up in Tampa and is excited to make his first indie film — and is already planning the next one. With the family connection to the New York Yankees, it’s not surprising to hear that Molloy is hoping to lens a biopic of Lou Gehrig based on the Jonathan Eig biography, Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig. Molloy commented that his grandfather loved theater and movies, a showman and entertainer himself who always laughed at the way he was portrayed on Seinfeld.

At the recent gala premiere of The Little Mermaid at Tampa Theatre, the Steinbrenner family was out in full force, as was a huge appreciative audience garnered by the Tampa Film Commission, plus fully costumed mermaids from Weeki Wachee and marching penguins from the Florida Aquarium.

Beforehand, CL sat down with Moseley and Drayton, young and British and charmingly self-deprecating, to discuss their new movie. The movie is inspired by the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale rather than the Disney animated film. It follows a young girl (Loreto Peralta) and her uncle (William Moseley) who travel to Mississippi to uncover a legend and a promised magical elixir, along the way discovering an enchanting woman (Poppy Drayton) who may be the real “Little Mermaid” of lore.

The film opens wide at AMC Theaters on August 17.

All the underwater sequences were filmed at Weeki Wachee. How did that go?

We got to meet professional mermaids and swam with them in the gorgeous springs. They gave me tips on how to maneuver with those massive tail fins that are part of the prosthetic costume. Actually, once you’re in the water, they’re quite buoyant and easy to use. Hard to get on with lots of tugging and pulling and lubricating cream, but easy to swim in. I practiced my swimming for months beforehand at my local leisure center to get down the fluid flow, then practiced holding my breath for longer and longer periods. I learned not to be afraid of the water, just let go. It’s very calming to be a mermaid. I hoped to see manatees at Weeki Wachee, but we didn’t, though I did have fish and turtles following along behind me.

There have been so many versions, animation and live action, with even more in the planning stage. What’s the appeal of the little mermaid’s story?

Moseley: It’s all about imagination and fantasy. It’s a PG-friendly family film but plenty for adults to enjoy too. It’s a story about thwarted love, inter-species love if you will, and the message behind the film is lovely: Believe in something, even if fantasy, because adults can get so swept up in cynicism, in not believing, but we need fantasy too. I loved the magic of the traveling circus that’s a part of the film — they brought the entire circus set from Los Angeles that had been used in the movie Water for Elephants to Savannah where we shot the interiors — and wished that we had been able to use that set even more in our filming. I love the fantasy world, love the Narnia movies (he’s been in three of them), and The Little Mermaid is very Narnia-like.

Drayton: Most girls want to be mermaids, so I was thrilled when I got the opportunity to play this role. This is a beautiful, sweet, charming story and the Blake Harris screenplay really does combine fantasy and adventure, with just enough threat and danger from the evil, mustache-twirling circus manager to keep things interesting.

The movie defies everything you have always been told not to do in making a movie: no children, no animals, no historical period piece, no water, and surely no mermaids. What were the challenges?

For sure, the movie has all of these. There were difficulties with this combination, but the rewards were massive. It is an ambitious project and we were up against the original Hans Christian Anderson, then the original Disney animation too, and all these other competing versions, including the planned Disney live-action with music by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Mencken, and another live-action version by Universal. But we made ours first and got it out of the gate first. Filming at Weeki Wachee was so much fun, and filming in Savannah was beautiful too. Much of the crew in Savannah were part of SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). Savannah gave us location shots for this historical look we were after. The circus elephant sort of slung me around when we first met. Florida had beautiful sunsets we could use when we filmed in Weeki Wachee. But the thunderstorms and lightning in Florida were scary. (Moseley was struck by lightning on the movie shoot for The Silent Mountain.)

How important was your role of the cynical reporter, Cam Harrison, to suss out the truth behind the magician’s elixir and the mermaid’s story?

Yeah, I hear the term “fake news” a lot in America. I loved playing the reporter (who’s also the uncle of the ill niece who’s so intrigued by mermaid life). He’s on a journey of discovery. And it’s through his eyes as an investigative reporter that he becomes the audience’s eyes and ears too. The questions he asks to discover the truth are the questions the audience has about it all. He starts out cynical and becomes a believer, not in the elixir but in mermaids.

Why was the working title Little Mermaid of the Mississippi? What role does Mississippi have in this movie?

Well, the movie is set in Mississippi but filmed in Savannah. Apparently, there is no longer any tax incentive to film in Florida. The mermaid act in the traveling circus is called Little Mermaid of the Mississippi because the writer Blake Harris wanted to evoke the Huck Finn adventure and journey of transformation. There’s something exotic and mysterious about the South and the Mississippi River. That journey of change certainly happens here in this movie, but I think it was ultimately decided to go with the simpler The Little Mermaid title. Harris has said that he's especially interested in writing aspirational stories for girls because he thinks girls don't get the attention they deserve in adventure-fantasy stories.

So, a film set in the American South has two leads with British accents (Moseley has acted in Narnia films and Drayton's been in Downton Abbey). What’s that all about?

Both the reporter/uncle and the mermaid are outsiders. The reporter is desperate for the truth, the uncle is desperate for a cure, the mermaid is desperate for freedom. Having British accents sort of marked us as outsiders who come into unfamiliar territory and find their way through. Mermaids with tuneful, lilting British accents just seem appropriate, don't you think?


What are the final messages you think the movie is offering the children who will see this film?

We want everyone to feel and believe the magic that’s offered here. The story evokes magic and fantasy. But we also want children to believe in themselves. Believe in your stories. Tell your own stories. Take out your iPhone and make a movie. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. It’s OK to chase your dreams. Go for it. You’ll never regret it. Actors want to tell a story too, so acting is great fun as we help people feel something as they watch the movie.


Photos:

Here

[veu]

From Parade:

Is the New The Little Mermaid A Remake of the Disney Classic?

The new The Little Mermaid and the animated Disney version are both loosely based on the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. The new live-action version (in theaters August 17) modernizes the tale about a beautiful, enchanting woman (Poppy Drayton, 27) who is captured, held in a Southern circus against her will—and believed to be “the little mermaid” of lore. Shirley MacLaine, William Moseley and Gina Gershon also star, and underwater portions were filmed at Florida’s Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.

Watch the final trailer for the new The Little Mermaid below and tell what character you’re most looking forward to seeing when the movie hits theaters August 17.

New Trailer

[yougottaloveariel]

Should be mentioned that there are MANY adaptations


Shirley Temple did a LIVE ACTION version as an adult Rankin Bass did one with Haley Mills as the Mermaid The Readers Digest version narrated by Richard Chamberlin (How I was introduced to the story in 1974) Japanese version Two from Russia one live one animated (Russia has a lot of water sprite legends alledgedly Shape of The Water ripped of a Russian film made in the sixties) Fairy Tale Theater w Pam Dawber playing Mermaid

BUT there is also this one

Due to the popularity of Sunday Night Disney Programs MGM using The Wizard of Oz Characters did a similar concept promoting some of there fantasy films AND new ones

One of the stories features a boy and what do you think? It was called the Mgm Fantasy hour or something (I was in diapers when it aired and it did not last long will try to get more info)

And that adaptation was loosely based on Plus the San Francisco Ballet a few years back Some off Broadway show by Schoolhouse Rocks Lynn Ahrenns…..

Maybe Ariel is sad in the sleepover clip because of her treatment from Disney studio's which for a decade WAS HORRIBLE

 QUOTH A CRIMSON COLORED CRAB       "TAKE IT FROM ME"

 

[veu]

Here another article from MiamiNewTimes:

THE LITTLE MERMAID (PG)
Genre:Action/Adventure Running Time:82 min. Release Date:August 17, 2018

This live-action reworking of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid is devoid of social or political undercurrents and untethered from recognizable reality — precisely the kind of fantasy film that should appease moviegoers critical of how the Marvel universe or the Star Wars series get too close to reality.

Co-directors Blake Harris and Chris Bouchard set the bulk of the story in what looks like the 1930s, but without any mention of the Great Depression (or any financial hardship). The effect is like strolling through a lovely display of early twentieth century Americana, admiring the streamlined beauty of mass-produced objects that mimicked the handiwork of artisans, all while encountering a cast of bubbly historical park re-enactors.

Harris’s script goes for the family film sweet spot, blending a chaste romance and plucky ailing child with exploited outsiders fighting villainy (here, a cruel ringmaster, not systemic oppression). It even borrows the framing device of The Princess Bride: An effusive Shirley MacLaine regales her bored granddaughters with the "real" mermaid tale. (Poppy Drayton plays the magical creature as equally earthy and ethereal.) There are also malicious circus performers, an intrepid newspaperman who gets involved in the story, and a Mississippi delta community without any racial segregation or prejudice.

With stilted sincerity, The Little Mermaid offers an idealized image of good Americans, who cannot abide oppression or tyranny. (William Moseley’s earnest reporter is British, but that’s okay: He's the right kind of immigrant, well-educated and well-heeled.) Unlike faith-based films, there is no greater power in Harris’s worldview. Magic is merely an individual trait: a vulnerability to be fortified by strength of character.
Directors:Chris Bouchard, Blake Harris Cast:Gina Gershon, Shirley MacLaine, Poppy Drayton, William Moseley, Jared Sandler, Diahann Carroll, Shanna Collins, Jo Marie Payton, Loreto Peralta, Lexy Kolker Writers:Hans Christian Andersen, Blake Harris Distributor:Freestyle Releasing LLC

[veu]

From CLTampa:

The Little Mermaid is an aspirational live-action tale for girls and boys alike
Ditch the cynicism and accept the fantasy.

The Little Mermaid is a fairy tale whose appeal has lasted for generations. Ever since 1837 when Hans Christian Anderson of Denmark wrote down his story filled with Victorian piety — a nameless mermaid who must marry a human prince to gain an immortal soul — this story of mermaids and their plight, or mermaids and their pluck, has captured our imagination.

Who among us hasn’t dreamed of these underwater creatures — so fluid, so lithe, so graceful and supple — and wondered what it would be like to be part of their watery world? There's a reason Weeki Wachee has a waiting list of applicants for their mermaid roles.

The original story has been adapted to Japanese anime, Disney animation and a Broadway musical. Disney is already in post-production on a live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, just as they did for Beauty and the Beast and The Jungle Book and the recently released Christopher Robin. And there’s another Little Mermaid film in the splashway, a troubled Universal version that once promised Sofia Coppola as director, but with several setbacks, it may never be made.

Right here, right now is this most recent incarnation of The Little Mermaid, produced by Tampa’s Steinbrenner family and recently revealed at its world premiere at the Tampa Theatre. This loose indie adaptation, produced by Rob Molloy and written/directed by Blake Harris, thrills us again with the familiar tale of a mermaid in search of her destiny, but with a number of unexpected twists and turns that have nothing to do with either the original Danish or the animated Disney.

Freed from those earlier iterations and updated to Mississippi in the 1930s, the film opens with Shirley MacLaine as a grandmother reading the tale to her precocious granddaughters. As she turns the pages, the screen becomes an animated storybook version of the mermaid's tale, a clever acknowledgement of the power of animation to tell a story and set the stage for the live-action updates to follow. It’s evident that the grandmother, a mysterious woman in her own right, seems to know a lot more about the background of the story than she’s revealing right now.

Of course, her connection to the little mermaid is not fully evident until the very end of the film, with all the appropriate oohs and aahs at that revelation. Throughout the film, in all its committed and fervent earnestness, we are asked to ditch our usual cynicism and accept the fantasy world of mermaids. The premiere audience at Tampa Theatre seemed fully vested in belief. At a Q&A afterwards, one petite girl, stars in her eyes and a quiver in her voice, said she loved the movie, especially the underwater part, then asked the panel that if a sequel were planned, could she be cast as mermaid as she’s a good swimmer.

This frame of a storybook being read to children, with that story coming to life before our eyes, establishes the ongoing, unfolding action that introduces an uncle Cam Harrison (William Moseley) who is both a doctor and an investigative reporter as he searches for a cure for his 10-year-old niece Elle (Loreto Peralta) with respiratory problems. That involves their taking the train to Mississippi to locate a traveling circus with a ringmaster-magician (Armando Gutierrez) who advertises a magic potion. They meet various circus performers, particularly the mermaid Elizabeth (Poppy Drayton) billed as the “Little Mermaid of the Mississippi," all of whom are controlled by the manipulating ringmaster.

As the plot thickens with lots of talk about low-tide and high-tide and the mermaid's stolen soul-in-a-box — unnecessarily convoluted and repetitive at times, difficult enough for adults to follow along, much less children — the investigative reporter uncovers the ringmaster’s dastardly deeds, both the charlatan’s elixir and the cruel control of the mermaid’s fate. Of course, the uncle-doctor-reporter (clever conflation of three roles into one) is protective of his niece, who is convinced the mermaid is real, yet he remains skeptical and disbelieving about the whole circus setup. Mystery adds to mystery until the final showdown between the ringmaster who reveals his true evil nature — but not so threatening as to challenge the PG rating — and the mermaid who must glide between liquid and land. It’s a satisfying, child-pleasing resolution.

Both Will Moseley and Poppy Drayton handle their roles with aplomb, each believable as they navigate their increasing attraction to one another. Cam's skeptical nature dissolves as he sees his niece restored to good health via her own relationship to the mermaid. Elizabeth conveys the inherent mystery of being both aquatic and human. Armando Guiterriez is appropriately villainous as the ringmaster. Shirley MacLaine is warm with twinkly grandmotherly eyes, but also with a feminist eye toward her granddaughters' independence.

There are no special effects beyond occasional green-screening and eye-blazing, eye-smoking stares of light, and a couple of eye-popping sequences as the mermaid’s legs revert to fishy scales. Cinematography by Neil Osman is especially notable in the moody, ethereal sequences involving the mermaid in her watery element, all filmed on location at Weeki Wachee.

One of the producers commented in the post-screening Q&A that he enjoys watching films with his young daughter and wanted to be part of a project that would ensure a blend of adventure and fantasy with a focus on love and family. The Little Mermaid is an aspirational story for girls and boys alike, a first-time indie feature as sleek and thrilling as a mermaid’s tail.

[veu]

From Variety:

Film Review: ‘The Little Mermaid’
An insipid family fantasy that barely serves as a 'Mermaid' placeholder until one of the mooted studio versions comes along.
By JESSICA KIANG

Director: Blake Harris, Chris Bouchard With: William Moseley, Poppy Drayton, Loreto Peralta, Armando Gutierrez, Shirley MacLaine, Shanna Collins, Chris Yong, Gina Gershon, Jo Marie Payton. Release Date: Aug 17, 2018
Rated PG 1 hour 25 minutes
“There are no cheap parlor tricks here!” growls Locke (Armando Gutierrez), the cloak-swirling, goatee-twitching villain of Blake Harris and Chris Bouchard’s “The Little Mermaid,” providing such an easy way in for the disgruntled reviewer (and few will be gruntled) that it almost feels like a trap. Creaky visual effects, slapdash plotting and a script drunk on cliché: There’s pretty much nothing but cheap parlor trickery here.

The biggest trick of all, of course, is that though it feels like it was designed to capitalize on the confusion, this is neither the forthcoming Lin-Manuel Miranda-assisted Disney remake, nor Universal’s similarly titled, status-unknown project that formerly had Sofia Coppola and Chloë Grace Moretz attached. Nor does it bear much resemblance to the 1989 animated musical, or to the Hans Christian Andersen story that purportedly inspired all of the above. Instead it belongs to the subgenre of “imagine insert-mythical-creature-here was real” movies, though this “Little Mermaid” is set in such an over-lit and airless 1930s America, all clattery typewriters, venetian blinds, and men wearing shirtsleeves and suspenders, that it might as well be a fairy tale transposed into another fairy tale. Aimed presumably at the least discerning of younger audiences, it makes “Splash” seem positively gritty by comparison.

Firstly, an animated sequence reacquaints us with the mermaid legend, minus the muteness which has been jettisoned in this take. This tale (or “tail” as the marketing will insist) is being discussed by two stage-school moppets and their glamorous granny, played by Shirley MacLaine — and if MacLaine’s scant minutes of screen time feel like a waste, just wait until you see what a raw deal poor Gina Gershon gets. Granny mysteriously claims to “remember” the story rather differently: Could it be that the subsequent extended flashback is really her reminiscing about her own childhood?

The sickly Elle (Loreto Peralta) has been living with her doting uncle Cam (William Moseley of “The Chronicles of Narnia”) since the death of her parents. She has an illness that no doctor can diagnose, but she’s sustained, Cam asserts, by her childish belief in mermaids and other fantasy creatures. Already the tone is leaden, despite the winsome stylings of Jeremy Rubelino’s syrupy score: We’re supposed to see Elle as a tragic little orphan beset by some semi-supernatural ailment, but really she’s just a kid with asthma who believes in fairies.

Cam is a reporter sent by his gruff, kindly editor (not a mythical creature, but da** close) to Mississippi, with Elle in tow, to investigate reports of a “miracle healing elixir” being peddled by shady circus-master Locke. This elixir, which local villagers (including a blink-and-you’ll-miss-her Gershon) swear has cured everything from lameness to lovelessness, turns out to be the water in which Locke’s star attraction swims. Her name is Elizabeth, she’s played by Poppy Drayton (“Downton Abbey”), and she is a mermaid. A “real” one, insists Elle, to the affectionate exasperation of her rationalist uncle. Could it be that the comely Elizabeth will change his mind?


Drayton is the film’s sole bright spot. Though lumbered with platitudinous dialogue and a silly transformation sequence in which she manifests a fish-scale bikini top at the same time as a tail, she still manages to invest her little corner of this amateurish exercise with dulcet sincerity. But even Drayton cannot wholly rescue the film when tradition dictates that she’s the one who needs rescuing. This culminates in a remarkably uninvolving chase sequence, in which she’s aided by circus “freak” Ulysses (a heavily made-up Chris Yong styled to within one blue satin jacket’s-breadth of copyright infringement on Disney’s “Beast”) and fortune teller Thora (Shanna Collins). With Ulysses as the heavy and Thora revealing convenient powers like telekinesis, the ability to shoot energy beams from her eyes and, oh yeah, this little thing where she can stop time, one wonders why they waited so long — if one’s capacity for wonder had not been so wholly bludgeoned into submission by this point.

Often, the independent production pitching its stall in the shadow of a studio giant at least earns points for bravery. But such a choking air of cash-in cynicism hangs over this project that it’s hard to find much to cheer for. As a newly enlightened Cam finally types up his report for his paper, he worries about whether people will believe it. Sagacious housekeeper Lorene (Jo Marie Payton) reassures him sagaciously, “All that matters is that you do” — a moral that’s both utterly anodyne and entirely unfit to be the last word in “The Little Mermaid,” in which it doesn’t feel like anyone ever truly believed.

Film Review: 'The Little Mermaid'

Reviewed online, Hobart, Australia, Aug. 14th, 2018. MPAA Rating: PG. Running Time: 85 MIN.

PRODUCTION: A Freestyle Releasing release of a Kingsway Productions, Conglomerate Media production. (Int'l Sales: Kingsway Productions, Tampa). Producers: Armando Gutierrez, Robert Molloy, Kevin Adler. Executive producer: Jessica Steinbrenner.

CREW: Directors: Blake Harris, Chris Bouchard. Screenplay: Blake Harris, inspired by the story by Hans Christian Andersen. Camera (Color): Neil Oseman. Editor: Colleen Halsey. Music: Jeremy Rubolino.

WITH: William Moseley, Poppy Drayton, Loreto Peralta, Armando Gutierrez, Shirley MacLaine, Shanna Collins, Chris Yong, Gina Gershon, Jo Marie Payton.

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From NYPost:

ENTERTAINMENT
The greatest movie mermaids of all time
By Gregory E. Miller August 16, 2018 | 6:42pm | Updated

A beautiful new lady of the sea splashes into theaters Friday as a live-action version of “The Little Mermaid” opens exclusively in AMC Theatres. In the movie — loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale, not the Disney flick — a reporter (William Moseley) meets a mermaid (Poppy Drayton) who has been trapped by a circus.

With a slew of mer-creature movies reportedly in the works — including a gender-flipped “Splash” remake starring Channing Tatum and a Disney live-action reimagining of “The Little Mermaid” featuring tunes from Lin-Manuel Miranda — take a look back at three of the most memorable mermaids to flip their fins on screen.

Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” (1989)

Enviable hair: Voluminous red
Aquatic accessory: Seashell bra
Special skill: Ballad belting
Archenemy: An evil sea witch
How she gets on land: Exchanges her voice for legs
The catch: If she doesn’t receive true love’s kiss, the sea witch will own her soul
The time crunch: Gotta get that smooch in three days
Makeshift outfit to hide her nudity: Dress made from a ship sail and some rope
The glow up: A pink princess gown, courtesy of the palace
Most confused by: Dinglehoppers — er, forks
Favorite meal: Unknown, but definitely not the stuffed crab she’s served
Favorite human activity: Carriage driving
Soundtrack to her most romantic moment: “Kiss the Girl”
Most quotable line: “You want thingamabobs? I got 20.”



Madison from “Splash” (1984)

Played by: Daryl Hannah
Enviable hair: Crimped blond
Aquatic accessory: Beaded necklace with seahorses
Special skill: Making a human breathe underwater
Archenemies: Evil scientists
How she gets on land: Can grow legs by drying off her tail
The catch: Getting her legs wet turns them right back into a tail
The time crunch: Gotta leave land within six days, when the moon is full
Makeshift outfit to hide her nudity: An “I ♥ New York” tee
The glow up: Bloomingdale’s shopping spree, courtesy of Tom Hanks’ wallet
Most confused by: TV
Favorite meal: Lobster, shell and all
Favorite human activity: Jazzercise
Soundtrack to her most romantic moment: Rita Coolidge’s “Love Came for Me”
Most quotable line: [Staring at pizza through a window] “It’s wonderfully delicious and so good for you!”

Aqua from “Aquamarine” (2006)

Played by: Sara Paxton
Enviable hair: Blue-streaked blond
Aquatic accessory: Live starfish earrings that whisper compliments
Special skill: Granting wishes
Archenemy: An evil hot girl
How she gets on land: Can transform her tail into legs during daylight
The catch: Must be back in the water by sunset each day
The time crunch: Gotta prove to her dad that love exists within three days
Makeshift outfit to hide her nudity: A long-sleeve T-shirt converted into a halter dress
The glow up: Vintage dresses, courtesy of a Tampa mall
Most confused by: Cotton candy
Favorite meal: Ben & Jerry’s — the Phish Food flavor, of course
Favorite human activity: Jumping on the bed
Soundtrack to her most romantic moment: Weezer’s “Island in the Sun”
Most quotable line: “Bull shark!” as an expletive

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From Meaww:

'The Little Mermaid': A small-budget movie with a very big heart
By Regina Gurung · Updated On : 13:36 PST, 16 Aug 2018

When the first trailer of 'The Little Mermaid' was released in March 2017, many took to Twitter to express their disappointment and the first thing to be pointed out was that the film has no 'Disney' magic. Granted that the movie isn't a big budget blockbuster by a big studio, but why should a label decide how good the film is? The fantastical movie, slated to release on August 17 in all AMC Theatres and Netflix, is a humble $5 million project with a very big heart.

In my interview with William Moseley (who plays Cam Harrison), he used the same words to describe the upcoming film and I did not know what that meant until I watched the fantasy drama. The second trailer which released this May has crossed over a million views, and while people pointed at the lack of Disney characters, including Ariel and Eric, the film is proof that fairytales can take different forms while still retaining their original ethos.

This story isn't an echo of the 1989 Disney version but is loosely based on the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, where the mermaid is named 'Elizabeth' instead of 'Ariel'. She isn't a redhead either, she's a brunette (played by Poppy Drayton). The hero of the story isn't a sailor or a prince, but a reporter who is taking care of his ailing niece diagnosed with a mysterious sickness.

In the opening scene, we meet Shirley MacLaine, a grandmother narrating a story to two little girls. One of them is Claire Ryann, the four-year-old who captured America's attention last year by singing a song from 'Moana' along with her father. However, despite their age, the girls don't seem to believe in mermaids.

As the grandmother begins her story, we are transported to 1930s America. People are jolly and the circus enchantment has captured the mood of the people in Mississippi. Given that Cam Harrison is a reporter of Boston Globe, it is questionable why he was chasing a mermaid and investigating the mystery of a miracle healing elixir instead of reporting the ebb-and-flow of the American Great Depression.Perhaps that is how fairytales ought to be, an escape from reality.

We meet a wizard, a wicked one, who has captured the soul of Elizabeth and toys with her for monetary gains and power. At the very beginning of the story, there is an animated narration similar to Ariel's story, who rescues a sailor but the sailor falls in love with a maiden in the land, thinking it was she who rescued him. However, as the film unfurls, it is quite hard to draw parallels with Elizabeth, but we understand that her soul was bargained for.

What's more fantastical about the plot is the character of Elle (played by Loreto Peralta), Harrison's niece who believes she is a mermaid. Half-way through the film, we learn about a prophecy of a girl born with a heart of a mermaid and, as obvious as that is, it is Elle. She plays an important role when it comes to the ultimate triumph and the twist is expectedly unexpected. The hero of the story isn't Cam Harrison, well, he rescues a circus elephant, but if you think the elephant would play another massive role and save the team in times of crisis, then think again. I kept waiting for that scene, but it never came. Cam Harrison is just a good soul who expects nothing in return. Despite knowing that all he has is mortal power, as opposed to the wizard, he still tries to fight him.

I have to admit there are some cringe-worthy moments and the effects don't necessarily reflect the current paradigm, it is still, however, a beautiful movie. Fifteen minutes in and I was already in love.

However, as the film progressed, it didn't quite live up to my expectations, but hey nothing wrong with that. Human flaws are well depicted and there's a striking balance between the newness of the story and a classic tale.

Knowing that the solid cast including Shirley MacLaine, Poppy Drayton, William Moseley, Loreto Peralta and Gina Gershon became a part of a movie that was not, let's say, Disney, gives so much more scope to independent productions. From Kingsway Productions and Conglomerate Media, co-directors Blake Harris and Chris Bouchard did a wonderful job of knitting the classic tale for a new audience, reimagining the story and telling it in such a bold way.

The movie may impress some and disappoint others, but the story lingers in our heads long after the comments have been exchanged and debates have been put to rest.

[yougottaloveariel]

IMDB gave it 5.5 trying to find theater where it might be playing


veu Are you familiar with the Secret of Roan Inish?