‘Now You See Me’ Director Louis Leterrier Circling Shark Drama ‘In the Deep’

Sony has been trying to find the right candidate to helm In the Deep, the upcoming film based on the acclaimed Black List script by Anthony Jaswinski about a young woman who faces off with a Great White shark while stranded in the ocean. The studio may have found their man in Louis Leterrier, the director of the Transporter films and Now You See Me — if it all works out, this might be a great change of pace for the director.

Deadline reports that Sony is in talks with Leterrier to direct In the Deep, described as Jaws meets 127 Hours with a little bit of a Gravity vibe. Those are all great film comparisons, and the premise sounds as though — if successfully executed — it could really attract the right kind of attention.

In the Deep follows a twentysomething woman who is mourning the recent death of her mother. After surfing solo out in the ocean, she finds herself stranded on a reef with only one thing standing (or swimming) between her and the shore: a Great White shark. The film appears to rest largely on the shoulders of one actress, and it’ll be interesting to see who lands the starring role — mostly because this sounds like a really great, attention-grabbing part.

Leterrier’s work has been action-oriented, from the Transporter movies to Now You See Me and Clash of the Titans. The director is also working on Grimsby, the Sacha Baron Cohen spy comedy co-starring Mark Strong and Penelope Cruz. In the Deep would be a very interesting choice for Leterrier should he take the opportunity.