Two-time Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner and Oscar nominee Josh Brolin are headlining “A Speck in the Sea,” a survival thriller built on a true story of survival and friendship, according to Deadline. Oscar winner Orlando von Einsiedel is directing, and 193, a Legendary company, is selling international rights at the American Film Market.
The real-life story starts in the predawn hours of July 24, 2013. Montauk lobsterman Johnny Aldridge was alone on deck when he went over the side of his boat into the Atlantic, while his best friend and fishing partner, Anthony Sosinski, slept below. Brolin will play Aldridge, and Renner will play Sosinski.
The Story and Roles
Renner’s Sosinski wakes up to find his partner gone and sets off a rescue effort that stretches across several states. Brolin’s Aldridge, meanwhile, has to stay alive alone in open water using every survival trick he knows.
The real Aldridge stayed afloat for about 12 hours, partly by using his rubber boots as flotation, before the Coast Guard found him roughly 43 miles south of Montauk Point. The search pulled in Coast Guard crews from five states along with Montauk’s own fishing fleet.
Jeff Pope, an Oscar nominee for “Philomena,” wrote the screenplay.
The Project So Far
Mark Bauch is producing for One Day’s Walk, and Jonathan Eirich is producing for Rideback.
The story has been told before. Paul Tough chronicled the rescue in a 2014 New York Times Magazine cover story, and Aldridge and Sosinski followed with their 2017 memoir. Both were titled “A Speck in the Sea.”
193 CEO Patrick Wachsberger described the project’s appeal in a statement to Deadline: “A Speck in the Sea brings together an exceptional cast and creative team to tell a wild true story of survival, friendship, and the human will to endure. The film has all the elements of a gripping, moving cinematic experience, and we look forward to making it available at the upcoming AFM.”
The Team
Von Einsiedel won his Oscar for the short documentary “The White Helmets” and also directed the Oscar-nominated “Virunga.” Pope earned his Oscar nomination for co-writing “Philomena.” Between them, the filmmakers have a track record with high-stakes human drama. No other cast members have been announced.
What’s Next
“A Speck in the Sea” is on the market now at AFM, which runs Nov. 10-15 in Los Angeles. No production start date, release window or additional casting has been announced.
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