The shark survival genre has reeled in another star: Kate Beckinsale.
The Hollywood Reporter can reveal that the Serendipity and Aviator actress has boarded action film White from director Jake West (Evil Dead), alongside Katherine McNamara (Shadowhunters, Maze Runner: The Death Cure). The script is written by Dan Schaffer, the writer and illustrator of the cult comic book series, Dogwitch. Beckinsale will also executive produce the feature.
It follows Willa Harba, a struggling actress trying to catch her big break, who is traveling overseas for a shoot with a self-obsessed star when their private jet crashes into the Pacific. Now the sole survivor, she’s stranded on a fractured wing with nothing but ocean around her. Her only lifeline is a satellite phone salvaged from the wreck, but when she calls for rescue, her demanding studio boss, Barbara (Beckinsale), brushes her off. Instead, her signal is picked up by marine biologist Sam Swatek (McNamara). She delivers chilling news: Willa has crashed into the infamous White Shark Café, a stretch of ocean where great whites gather to feed.
Casting is currently underway for the role of Willa, and principal photography is set to begin this summer in Bulgaria, England and the U.S.
White is produced by Yariv Lerner (Rambo: Last Blood, Hellboy), Dominic Burns (Jay and Silent Bob Reboot), Crawford Anderson-Dillon (5lbs of Pressure) and Sky Morfopoulos (Wildcat). The film is executive produced by Beckinsale, Highland Film Group’s Arianne Fraser and Delphine Perrier, Patrick Wintersgill, Kevin Glynn, Pauric Duffy and Hannah Leader.
Highland Film Group is handling worldwide sales, launching in Cannes, and co-financing the project.
“White is an incredibly elevated and intense adventure for the ages, filled with tension, emotion and ferocious sharks,” said Fraser, Highland Film Group’s CEO. The company’s COO Perrier added: “We are delighted to be working with producer Yariv Lerner who continues to be a guiding force behind some of today’s most innovative action films. And with our wonderful cast led by Kate Beckinsale and Katherine McNamara, it’s the perfect addition to our Cannes slate.”
Highland Film Group’s current slate also includes Lisette Feliciano’s Iron Jane starring Eiza Gonzalez and Brandon Sklenar; Neil Burger’s action thriller Barracuda with Anthony Mackie and Dafne Keen; Justin Chadwick’s action spy-thriller The Mark led by Jessica Alba, Tom Hopper and Elsa Pataky; Martin Campbell‘s thriller Just Play Dead featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Green; The Black Demon: Atlantis starring Jack Kesy; Pierre Morel’s action thriller The Good Samaritan with Daisy Ridley, Josh Duhamel and Sharlto Copley; the espionage action thriller Stratagem starring Noomi Rapace and Teo Yoo and Brad Anderson’s psychological thriller Moral Capacity boasting Dacre Montgomery, Diane Lane, Sofia Boutella and Tim Robbins.
Beckinsale is repped by Kleinberg Lange.
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