Peter Berg replaces JC Chandor as director on Deepwater Horizon

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Back in August, we heard the news that Mark Wahlberg was joining J.C. Chandor's true life disaster film DEEPWATER HORIZON. With Chandor's third film, A MOST VIOLENT YEAR< racking up acclaim this awards season, it seemed like a larger scope film based on a recent disaster may be the ticket for the filmmaker to finally nab an Oscar. But, it looks like that may not be in the cards.

J.C. Chandor has officially dropped out of helming DEEPWATER HORIZON, but Wahlberg is now set to reteam with his LONE SURVIVOR director as Peter Berg is now taking over the project. According to The Wrap, Chandor left DEEPWATER HORIZON over creative differences. Berg is more adept at working within a studio structure (see BATTLESHIP, HANCOCK, THE KINGDOM, THE RUNDOWN) and yet still has a keen eye for large scale set-pieces and effects work. LONE SURVIVOR was one of his most effective directing jobs in recent years and he should make a great fit for the story.

For those unfamiliar, DEEPWATER HORIZON chronicles the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the repercussions of the environmental and political fallout. The film will also reunite Berg and screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan who worked on THE KINGDOM together.

DEEPWATER HORIZON currently has no release date.