The Secret of Moonacre

The Secret of Moonacre follows thirteen-year-old Maria Merryweather, who is left orphaned when her father dies. With little to her name beyond a mysterious book, she leaves London to live with Sir Benjamin, an eccentric uncle she has never met, at his estate in a remote part of western England. Moonacre Manor proves strange: objects move on their own and magical creatures appear in the house and grounds. Maria learns that the valley is divided by a long-standing feud between her own family and the De Noir clan, and that an old curse threatens the whole area. She is believed to be the last Moon Princess, and only she can put right the wrongs of the past before time runs out.

The film is a fantasy adventure adapted from Elizabeth Goudge's novel The Little White Horse. It was directed by Gábor Csupó, his second feature after Bridge to Terabithia, from a screenplay by Graham Alborough and Lucy Shuttleworth. Dakota Blue Richards plays Maria, with Ioan Gruffudd as Sir Benjamin, Tim Curry as Coeur De Noir, Augustus Prew as Robin De Noir, Natascha McElhone as Loveday and Juliet Stevenson as Miss Heliotrope.

Released in 2009, the film carries a budget of 32 million USD and took about 7 million USD worldwide, a fraction of its cost. On IMDb it holds 6.1/10 from around 12,000 votes and on TMDB 6.6/10 from 513 votes, while a film critics' rating stands at 4.1/10 from 22 reviews, well below the audience scores.