Kate Beckinsale (Underworld) and Katherine McNamara (“The Stand“) are set to appear in the shark survival thriller White.
Jake West (Doghouse, Evil Aliens) will direct from a script by Dan Schaffer (Doghouse, The Scribbler).
In the film, Willa Harba, a struggling actress trying to catch her big break, 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), who 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. Highland Film Group is handling worldwide rights and co-financing the project.
Yariv Lerner (Rambo: Last Blood), Dominic Burns (Jay and Silent Bob Reboot), Crawford Anderson-Dillon, and Sky Morfopoulos produce. Executive producers include Beckinsale, Highland’s Arianne Fraser & Delphine Perrier, Patrick Wintersgill, Kevin Glynn, Pauric Duffy, and Hannah Leader.
“White is an incredibly elevated and intense adventure for the ages, filled with tension, emotion and ferocious sharks!” said Highland CEO Arianne Fraser.
“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,” added Highland COO Delphine Perrier. “And with our wonderful cast led by Kate Beckinsale and Katherine McNamara, it’s the perfect addition to our Cannes slate.”
White is set to begin principal photography this summer in Bulgaria, England, and the US.
