Steven Spielberg's JAWS has messed with my head more than any other movie I've ever seen. Watching that film (repeatedly) as a child has left me with a lasting fear of large bodies of water and the creatures that may be lurking within them. I have had recurring nightmares about sharks throughout my life. And just when I overcame that fear to wade waist-deep into the ocean this past weekend, Altitude Film Sales has come along to remind me of what's out there in that water. The company is currently presenting the Australian shark thriller project GREAT WHITE to potential buyers at the Cannes Film Festival, and part of their presentation is the terrifying sales art featured in this article.
At least I only went into the water up to my waist. I didn't go swimming in the depths like the poor fellow in the image with the shark.
GREAT WHITE is now in pre-production, with filming expected to begin later this year. Martin Wilson will be directing from a screenplay written by Michael Boughen. The synopsis:
What should have been a tourist trip to remember, quickly turns into a living nightmare when five passengers on a seaplane become stranded, miles away from shore. What follows is a desperate bid for survival as the group try to make it to land before they either run out of supplies or are taken by the man-eating sharks lurking just beneath the surface.
The film is being produced by Michael Robertson, Neal Kingston, and Chris Veerhuis, with Robert Slaviero serving as executive producer.
Robertson and Kingston describe GREAT WHITE as a "suspenseful survival tale", with Altitude's Mike Runagall adding that it's
a gripping concept-driven survival thriller from a team with a proven track record in high-end suspense filmmaking that pitches a full-on battle with nature and the most terrifying predator known to man."
When it comes to my fear of the ocean and sharks, I don't do myself any favors. I'll watch any aquatic horror movie that crosses my path, which means GREAT WHITE has already been added to my mental "must see" list.