Sam Worthington is in advanced negotiations to join “Alphas,” a killer whales vs. great white sharks creature feature currently in the works at Voltage Pictures and Endurance. Shooting begins in Puerto Rico this Summer.
“Into the Storm” and “Final Destination 5” helmer Steven Quale, who was James Cameron’s second unit director on “Titanic” and “Avatar,” helms the project from a script by Frank Hannah (“The Cooler”) and an original story by Hannah and Christopher Tuffin.
The synopsis reads as follows: “When the local Great White population spirals out of control, environmentalist Gavin McDade (Sam Worthington) is tasked with finding a natural solution to the shark problem. He tracks down the owner of a nearby Killer Whale sanctuary, whose career as an Orca trainer was cut short when she was attacked by the star of her own show.
She reluctantly agrees to reintroduce a pod of juvenile Orcas into the same waters to drive out the sharks. However, they soon realise there’s a female alpha Great White lurking beneath the surface capable of destroying them all.
With nowhere else to turn and with his rebellious sister’s surf competition quickly approaching, Gavin must convince the former trainer to unleash the same creature that nearly killed her in what will become the greatest battle of apex predators the oceans have ever seen.”
Pierre Morel, Steve Richards, Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin will produce with the project currently selling at the European Film Market. VFX shop BUF (“Blade Runner 2049”) and Important Looking Pirates (“The Shallow,” “Kon-Tiki”) will do the creature effects.
Worthington will be seen next year in the “Avatar” sequel and is currently in Alabama filming Eytan Rockaway’s “Lansky,” a biopic about infamous gangster Meyer Lansky (Harvey Keitel) with Minka Kelly, AnnaSophia Robb, Jackie Cruz, John Magaro and David James Elliot co-starring. Voltage is currently selling that film at EFM as well.
He’s also set to take the lead in action thriller “Counterplay” where he plays a retired kidnap and ransom hostage negotiator who must help a young man (Alex Diaz) wrongly accused of trafficking drugs to escape and return to his home and family in Australia. That starts filming in Manila in August.
Source: Voltage Pictures
