From Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, producer of memorable blockbusters such as The Matrix, The Perfect Storm, Ocean’s Eleven, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, comes another thrilling edge-of-your-seat drama thriller Deepwater Horizon starring an impressive cast led by Mark Wahlberg along with Dylan O’Brien, Kate Hudson, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich and Gina Rodriguez.
Directed by Peter Berg, known for his cerebral and visceral thrillers such as Very Bad Things, The Kingdom, and Hancock, Deepwater Horizon is based on the true events that occurred on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010.
The story chronicles the courage of those who worked on the Deepwater Horizon and the extreme moments of bravery and survival in the face of what would become one of the biggest man-made disasters in world history.
Wahlberg takes on the role of real-life Transocean chief electronics technician Mike Williams, a devoted family man who was overseeing the rig’s computers and electrical systems on April 20th.
After the explosion, Williams aligns himself closely with 23-year-old rig worker Andrea Fleytas, who is played in a departure by Golden Globe® winner and “Jane The Virgin” star Gina Rodriguez. Rodriguez had to explore both a woman’s deepest fears and greatest courage for the role. “The true life Andrea is a real character and Gina brings great energy and an essential goodness to who she is as a person,” says Di Bonaventura. “She also captures what it’s like to be a woman in the middle of a crazy, ultimately catastrophic situation.”
Says Rodriguez of embodying Fleytas, “Pete was all about trying to be as authentic as possible, so I did a lot of my own research and even went to dynamic positioning officer training in Houston. It was quite the experience.”
The challenges of working on these intricate sets brought cast and crew closer—but also were a constant reminder of just how much greater the difficulties were to those who found themselves trying to survive the most destructive oil rig disaster in history. Sums up director of photography Enrique Chediak, “There are many emotions people have about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This movie makes you aware of what the people on the rig had to go through—and that is the part that is so incredible.”
Deepwater Horizon opens in cinemas tomorrow from Pioneer Films.