Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me) is in early negotiations at Sony to direct Anthony Jaswinski's Black List script, In the Deep, an action/thriller survival drama that pits a lone surfer against a great white shark. The film follows a twentysomething woman mourning the recent death of her mother. When she goes surfing alone at an isolated beach, she ends up stranded on a reef with a great white shark between her and the shore.
Jaswinski's script ignited a bidding war last year when it made the studio rounds. Sony won the project in the end, which Deadline describes as "127 Hours meets Jaws, with a touch of Gravity thrown in for good measure." Those are some classy survival dramas, and of course, Jaws is the absolute reigning king of shark films. While Leterrier has certainly proved his knack for crowd-pleasing action with films like The Transporter, The Incredible Hulk, and most recently, Now You See Me, none of them scream awards prestige. I'm intrigued to see his take on the material - at the bare minimum it should be an entertaining ride, but if Leterrier ups his game, In the Deep could be something really special.
A lot of the film's success or failure will depend on the actress that wins the role of the lead character. It's a showcase part for a young actress, essentially a one-woman show requiring intense physicality and emotional depth. I'd love to see somebody like Brie Larson or Anna Kendrick up for the part - talented, engaging actresses who can carry a film on their own.
Leterrier is currently directing Grimsby, a spy comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Strong.
What do you think? Does Leterrier seem like a good fit for In the Deep? Who would you like to see face off against a great white? Do you like your shark films to lean serious or Sharknado?
