Depart it to “Butt Boy” filmmaker Tyler Cornack to place a brand new twist on the mermaid-meets-man love story.
Cornack, whose work John Waters has praised, writes and directs the SXSW 2025 characteristic “Mermaid” a few lonely drug addict who befriends an exquisite legendary creature. The horror-comedy is led by Johnny Pemberton, with Avery Potemri because the titular mermaid.
The official synopsis reads: “Divorced and alone, Florida drug addict Doug (Pemberton) shares custody of his younger daughter together with his ex. Doug’s reeling from shedding his job at an area strip membership, the place he takes care of the fish within the aquarium. Issues are past bleak, so Doug zips his boat out into the Gulf to finish the ache of his actuality. However at his lowest level, he discovers an injured Mermaid (Potemri) creature clinging to life. For Doug, it’s an indication from the Universe, so he brings her residence, provides her shelter in his tub and begins to nurse her again to well being. As their rapport blossoms, phrase of his secret will get out and he’s pressured to guard his new buddy by any means vital.”
Robert Patrick, Kevin Nealon, Kevin Dunn, Kirk Fox, and Tom Arnold co-star.
Cornack stated in a press assertion that “Mermaid” is his “absurdist love letter to Florida” as a complete.
“Florida [is] a spot that I discover lovely and hideous concurrently, unpredictable, but equally wild and free. Stuffed to the brim with dumbfounding characters and odd tales that come together with every of them,” Cornack stated. “I suppose the geniuses got here to me as a toddler, watching the seashore bums slur their phrases at my household’s lodge tiki bar. Listening to the tales of alligators consuming canines and kids. At all times bouncing and blurring the traces between horrifying, surreal, and humorous. That’s what I name Florida. And that’s what this film is to me.”
Cornack continued, “Past Florida, this story is a few loner. The Mermaid isn’t the one fish out of water, in the event you will… Whereas writing it, it turned extraordinarily private, not solely in a profession sense, however personally on many ranges as effectively. I wouldn’t dare to bore you with the small print, however briefly, I feel all of us have just a little Doug in us.”
“Mermaid” is govt produced by Billy Morean, Jason Korstad, Johnny Pemberton, and Sara Mcfarlane. Daniel Brandt, Dane Eckerle, and Cole Eckerle produce.
“Mermaid” premieres March 8 at SXSW as a gross sales title from XYZ Movies. Try the teaser, an IndieWire unique, under.