Kate Beckinsale (Underworld, Love & Friendship, Pearl Harbor) and Katherine McNamara (Disney+’s ”Shadowhunters,” 20th Century Fox’s Maze Runner: The Death Cure) are set to join the cast of shark survival action film White, it was announced today. Directed by horror maven Jake West (Evil Aliens), the film is written by Dan Schaffer, the writer and illustrator of the cult comic book series, Dogwitch.
The shark actioner is produced by Yariv Lerner (Lionsgate’s Rambo: Last Blood and Hellboy), Dominic Burns (Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot), Crawford Anderson-Dillon (Lionsgate’s 5lbs of Pressure) and Sky Morfopoulos (Aura’s Wildcat). White is executive produced by Kate 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 rights and co-financing the project.
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 (Kate Beckinsale), brushes her off. Instead, her signal is picked up by marine biologist Sam Swatek (Katherine 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; principal photography is set to begin in this summer in Bulgaria, England and the U.S.
“White is an incredibly elevated and intense adventure for the ages, filled with tension, emotion and ferocious sharks!” said Highland Film Group 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. And with our wonderful cast led by Kate Beckinsale and Katherine McNamara, it’s the perfect addition to our Cannes slate,” added company COO Delphine Perrier.
