Posted in: Current News, Editor's Picks TV News, Freeform, Movies, Preview, Trailer, TV, YouTube | Tagged: Alex Roe, An American Exorcism, bleeding cool, Bristol Cove, cable, Dean Whit, drama, Eline Powell, Episode 1, Episode 2, Eric Wald, fantasy, Fola Evans-Akingbola, freeform, game of thrones, guy ritchie, HRL, Ian Verdun, interview, Knights of the Roundtable, Life's a Drag, mermaids, pilot, Rena Owen, Ryn, Season 1, Siren, star wars, streaming, television, The 5th Wave, The Lure, tv
Siren's Eline Powell Talks Mermaids, Cast Camaraderie, and Geek Guilty Pleasures [The Weekly Static: Interviews]
This Thursday is a pretty big day for mermaid fans, with March 29th being officially designated International Mermaid Day — but you can't just call yourself International Mermaid Day without something to back you up. That's where Freeform's stepping up in a big way, premiering their new mermaid fantasy-drama series Siren with a two-hour, two episode event.
But this is far from your average mermaid story, as you'll see in the trailer below. Eric Wald and Dean White's story has us thinking a lot less Splash and The Little Mermaid and more like a potential cross between Roswell, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Teen Wolf:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLpvHsPOUN0
"Siren" takes us inside Bristol Cove—a coastal town known for its legend of once being home to mermaids. When the arrival of a mysterious girl proves this folklore all too true, the battle between man and sea takes a very vicious turn as these predatory beings return to reclaim their right to the ocean.
The series stars Alex Roe ("The 5th Wave") as Ben, a bright marine biologist who finds himself drawn to a mysterious new girl in town, Ryn, played by Eline Powell ("Game of Thrones"), who is a strange young woman with a deep dark secret. Fola Evans-Akingbola ("An American Exorcism") stars as Maddie, also a marine biologist who works with Ben, and is highly suspicious of Ryn. Ian Verdun ("Life's a Drag") stars as Xander, a deep sea fisherman on a quest to uncover the truth; and Rena Owen ("Star Wars" Episodes II and III) as Helen, the town eccentric who seems to know more about the mermaids than she lets on.
"Siren" is based on a story by Eric Wald and Dean White who both serve as executive producers. Emily Whitesell ("Finding Carter") serves as showrunner and executive producer. Brad Luff, Nate Hopper and RD Robb also serve as executive producers.
It appears the past may be coming back to haunt the good people of Bristol Cove in the form of the mysterious Ryn, who harbors a dark secret that will bring dark forces — human and not-so-human — down upon the coastal town. Bleeding Cool was lucky enough to sit down with actress Eline Powell (Ryn) to break bread on the upcoming series.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Powell's previous work includes the Dustin Hoffman-directed film Quartet; director Guy Ritchie's Knights of the Roundtable; a recurring role on HBO's Game of Thrones; and co-starring with Melissa Leo and Margaret Qualley in Novitiate, which was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
Over the course of our interview, Powell touched on a number of subjects including: what she wants viewers to take out of the two-part series premiere; how Siren's take on mermaids is different than many other portrayals; what life is like on the set with the cast when the cameras aren't rolling; and owns up to some "geek guilty pleasures":
With Bleeding Cool's review of Siren's first two episodes posting tomorrow, here's a sneak preview of what you can expect:
Siren 1×01 – 'Pilot': The coastal town of Bristol Cove, once known for being home to mermaids, is turned upside down with the arrival of a mysterious girl.
Siren 1×02 – 'The Lure': Ben and crew of The North Star uncover a device emitting a strange sound. Meanwhile, Ryn finds shelter in the home of the local folklore expert.
The cast and crew of Siren made out to New York Comic Con 2017 to talk all things at their Freeform panel: