William Moseley Joins ‘A Little Mermaid’ Movie

“The Royals” star William Moseley has joined Shirley MacLaine and Poppy Drayton in MVP Studios’ live-action family adventure “A Little Mermaid,” inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.

Loreto Peralta (“Instructions Not Included”), Diahann Carroll, William Forsythe (“Boardwalk Empire”) and Gina Gershon are also starring. Chris Bouchard is directing from a screenplay by Blake Harris with Robert Molloy and Armando Gutierrez producing.

Production recently launched in Georgia. MVP Studios announced “A Little Mermaid” with MacLaine and Drayton starring on Feb. 23.

Moseley is portraying a reporter, who travels with his younger sister (Peralta) to a small Southern town where they discover an enchanting creature (Drayton) they believe to be the real “Little Mermaid.” MacLaine portrays an eccentric woman who has intimate knowledge of the story.

MVP Studios was founded by Molloy, grandson of the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, and Gutierrez (“Walt Before Mickey”) with a focus on producing and distributing family films.

Andersen’s story, first published in 1837, centers on a young mermaid willing to give up her life in the sea to gain a human soul after she falls in love with a handsome prince. Disney’s animated “The Little Mermaid” was released in 1989 and grossed over $200 million worldwide.

Another live-action “Little Mermaid” adaptation — starring Chloe Moretz — is in the works at Universal.

Related stories

Shirley MacLaine Starring in 'A Little Mermaid' Movie

Anne Heche, Philip Baker Hall Join Shirley MacLaine-Amanda Seyfried's 'Last Word'

Shirley MacLaine-Amanda Seyfried Dramedy 'The Last Word' Bought by Bleecker Street

Get more from Variety and Variety411: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter