David Oyelowo stars and makes his directorial debut in the upcoming family adventure drama “The Water Man”. Oyelowo’s personal love for these kinds of movies and a desire to share the types of films her grew up on with his own children inspired him to jump into screenwriter Emma Needell fantastical world. The first trailer shows a movie that has some cool fantasy elements but also a visible human pulse which could lead to a potentially fun and emotionally rich experience.

While “The Water Man” features a terrific adult cast including Oyelowo, Rosario Dawson, Alfred Molina, and Maria Bello, the movie is about a young boy named Gunner (Lonnie Chavis) who with the help of local girl named Jo (Amiah Miller) ventures into the mysterious forest in search of the Water Man. Gunner’s mother is sick and local legend says the Water Man knows the secret to immortality. So it becomes a heart-filled story of a son doing whatever he can to save his ailing mom. I like our first look at the movie which comes across as warm and thoughtful and as something that could resonate with all ages.

“The Water Man” opens in theaters May 7th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.