Summary
I can’t wait for Aaron Eckhart’s upcoming disaster movie, which promises to be theDeep Blue SeaI’ve waited 25 years to see. I can still vividly recall the visceral shock that rippled through the theater duringSamuel L. Jackson’s death inDeep Blue Seain 1999, where his character is snatched by a shark in the middle of a stirring speech. This has since become the most iconic part of the Renny Harlin-directed blockbuster, but there’s still plenty to enjoy about this finely crafted B-movie.
Deep Blue Seaarrived at a curious time for visual effects, with the animatronic sharks that stalk the lead characters still looking incredible. On the flipside, the CGI sharks have agedterribly, with the tech just not being up to the task during that era.The film never touches the greatness ofJaws, but the originalDeep Blue Seamoviehas attracted a sizable cultfor its great cast, thrilling action, and - of course - Jackson’s surprise demise.
Aaron Eckhart Will Front A New Shark Movie From Deep Blue Sea’s Director
Deep Water has Renny Harlin swimming back into shark-infested waters
Deep Water finds Eckhart as the pilot of an international flight that is forced to crash-land in shark-infested waters.
Deep Water (2025)
Cast
Deep Water follows an international group of passengers who must cooperate to survive after their plane makes an emergency landing in shark-infested waters. As they navigate the perils of the ocean, tensions rise as they confront their differences and attempt to evade the circling predators.
I’ve also been delighted by Aaron Eckhart’s transformation into an action star, especially after he frontedthe cast ofThe Bricklayer. A decade ago it would be easy to picture Liam Neeson playing that role, with the story finding Eckhart’s former CIA agent pulled back into his old life and punching a lot of people. Renny Harlin also directedThe Bricklayer, andEckhart and Harlin will reunite for the upcomingDeep Water,a mix of the horror and disaster genres.This finds Eckhart as the pilot of an international flight that is forced to crash-land in shark-infested waters.
As their plane sinks, Eckhart’s character must figure out a way to get his passengers to safety as sharks begin to circle the wreckage. I’ve always been fond of Harlin’s action output - which includesDie Hard 2andCliffhanger- but his career began in horror, withA Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Masterbeing his breakthrough. Harlin is hardly a master of restraint or subtly, but he brings an energy and showmanship to his horror projects that make him stand out from his peers.
Aaron Eckhart and hisDeep Waterco-star Ben Kingsley previously worked together in 2004’sSuspect Zero.
That’s whyEckhart and Harlin’sDeep Wateris giving me seriousDeep Blue Seavibes. The director previously passed on sequels to his shark opus, which utterly lacked the flair he brought to the first outing.Deep Water’ssetup sounds more serious thanDeep Blue Sea, but it will no doubt contain wild deaths and action regardless. Even Harlin’s lacklusterExorcistprequel contained some memorable sequences and blasts of gore, so a return toDeep Blue Seaterrority sounds like a fun time to me.
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How is the third movie not called Deep Blue Three?
Deep Blue Seawas a modest success, though it took some time for its cult reputation to grow. Despite all the “evil” sharks having been destroyed by the movie’s finale, I still held out hope for a sequel. It turned out to be an almost 20-year wait too, thoughneither 2018’sDeep Blue Sea 2nor 2020’s third entry proved to be worth the long gap.These were low-budget, STV affairs with little in the way of direct connections to the Harlin’s epic.
1987
$354,704
40%
1988
$49,369,899
57%
1999
$165,048,228
60%
2004
$16,566,235
24%
$43,957,541
11%
2006
$38,164,784
4%
2013
$5,272,302
50%
2023
2024
$38,761,544
22%
N/A
None of the original filmmakers or cast returned, though in fairness, only two characters survived the first movie. WatchingDeep Blue Sea 2was particularly disappointing for me, with the follow-up being a cheap, badly acted bore.Deep Waterat least won’t have that problem, since the cast includes Eckhart and Ben Kingsley, among others. Harlin has been extremely prolific in recent years too, with the filmmaker also helming the rebootedStrangerstrilogy that will all release in 2024.
Deep Water Continues Eckhart’s Action Movie Evolution
The Bricklayer has laid a template for Eckhart’s current career
I’ve always been a fan of Eckhart, and kind of shocked his career didn’t explode followingThe Dark Knight. Unfortunately, it feels like major studios weren’t sure how to plug him into a more traditional leading man mold, but that’s not to say he hasn’t done some good work in the years since in projects likeSully. After a few years fronting action thrillers likeMuzzle,Harlin’sThe Bricklayergave Eckhart his best role in yearsand one that used both his actionandacting chops to great effect.
While the world awaits news of a potentialBricklayer 2, a reunion with Harlin for a creature feature is the next best thing. Even better, if it’s the gonzoDeep Blue Sea-style shark movie I’m hoping it will be. It’s also nice to see Eckhart having found his niche, and embracing genre in a way actors of his caliber rarely do.Deep Waterwill continue that trajectory and will make a nice break from playing surly CIA agents for its leading man.
Deep Blue Sea
A sci-fi action horror film released in 1999, Deep Blue Sea follows a group of scientists trapped in the ocean deep within a research facility as several massive genetically altered sharks begin to wreak havoc. Despite the researcher’s best intentions, the scientific experiments conducted in this facility have grown hyper-intelligent and incredibly strong, making them apex predators the likes that have never been seen.
