It's been thirteen months since we last heard news on the MGM thriller DEEPER, which was written by Max Landis (CHRONICLE, VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN) and will be produced by Landis, David S. Goyer, Kevin Turren, and Addictive Pictures. At that time, the project looked good to go, with WHITE GOD director Kornel Mundruczo at the helm, Bradley Cooper attached to star, and Gal Gadot in talks to join the cast… But the deal was never closed with Gadot, Cooper had to drop out due to scheduling issues, and Mundruczo followed him out the door.
So now MGM is starting over, with CONTRABAND and 2 GUNS director Baltasar Kormakur in talks to direct.
Landis's screenplay follows
a former astronaut, who was hired to take a submersible to the deepest part of the ocean. Supernatural events transpire as the vehicle gets closer to its destination.
The studio is hoping to find another actor "with the stature of Cooper" to star in the film. Ideally an actor who has next spring open in their schedule, because that's when MGM wants to get this project into production.
It sounds like this is going to require a good amount of filming in the water to bring to the screen, and Kormakur is no stranger to that. In addition to the films mentioned, his filmography includes 2002's THE SEA, about a family living in a fishing village, 2012's THE DEEP, about a fisherman who is dumped into the freezing ocean after his boat capsizes, and this year's ADRIFT (pictured above), about a woman who was lost at sea for 41 days.