Sony is set for a re-imagining of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid story through the book "Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale" by Carolyn Turgeon, for Country Strong filmmaker Shana Feste to write and direct.

The story is told from a different point of view, and has a darker tone than the Disney original. The story centers on a princess who seeks out to marry the prince of her rival kingdom, to try and save her own ravaged kingdom. However, the princess discovers that a beautiful mermaid has also fallen for the prince, risking her life to be with him. The story is said to be a darker version of The Little Mermaid.

Actor Tobey Maguire will produce Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale through his Material Pictures banner, along with Jenno Topping. Here's the official description of the novel below, which was published in March.

"When Lenia, a young mermaid princess, rescues a man from a shipwreck and carries him to shore, her selfless act is witnessed by Princess Margrethe, who is staying in a convent nearby for protection from the war her father is fighting against another kingdom. The shipwrecked young man's name is Christopher, and in the weeks that he's nursed back to health at the convent, he and Margrethe fall in love-but it's not until after he leaves that Margrethe discovers he's the prince from the kingdom her family is at war with.

Meanwhile, in the sea Lenia is suffering; she fell in love with Christopher in the moments she carried him to shore, so she makes a deal with the sea witch: in exchange for her voice and tongue she receives a potion that changes her into human form. Margrethe comes up with a plan of her own: she'll be offered in marriage to Christopher, thus uniting the kingdoms and putting an end to the years of conflict between the two lands. But when Margrethe arrives, ready to win and wed her prince, she finds him enraptured with a beautiful woman who looks very familiar. Margrethe is sure she's seen her before."

No production schedule was released for Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale.