Francesca Eastwood stars in writer/director Phil Volken’s shark thriller The Bay, which has wrapped filming in Hawaii
Deadline reports that filming has wrapped on a shark thriller called The Bay, which stars Francesca Eastwood (Old) alongside Dani Oliveros (Outbreak), Alexander Wraith (Naomi), and Ta’imua (It’s Not How It Sounds). They also unveiled the first look image that can be seen above. Architect is handling international sales and is co-representing North American rights with Roundtable, and they will be presenting the project to potential buyers at the European Film Market this month.
Production on this one took place in Oahu, Hawaii. Writer/director Phil Volken, whose survival thriller Dead Sea ranked in the #1 spot on the Netflix streaming service in 16 countries when it debuted on the streamer in September 2024, crafted a story that follows old friends Emma (Francesca Eastwood) and Lani (Dani Oliveros) to Thailand, where they are invited on an eco-boat tour to visit a remote shark sanctuary bay – an awe-inspiring lagoon where imposing, steep-sided rock formations called ‘karsts’ rise from the water line – with the hope of seeing the magnificent tiger sharks who have made the secluded spot their home. In the capable hands of their captain, Mandal (Alexander Wraith), and his rough and ready boatman Ruhan (Tai’mua), the young women are entranced by the beauty of this secret paradise. When a giant female shark, nicknamed Sheena, gets tangled in the bait chain while ramming the motor in an attempt to escape, the two friends end up much closer to nature than they bargained for. Isolated, hemmed in by the imposing landscape, and now fast sinking, with space for only one person on their life-raft, the group must together call on all their resources to survive.
Alina Shraybman and Dominic Vicari are producing The Bay, with executive producers including Dominic Ianno, John Baldecchi, Sarah Donnelly, and Jason Resnick for Roundtable Entertainment, along with Michael Weiss, David Scherer, Austin Mansur, Derek Korogodsky, Greg Ansin, Peter Rodbell, Dan Reardon, and Simon Fawcett.
Volken provided the following statement: “I’ve made several films set on the open sea, and The Bay is the culmination of my experiences to date – with my crack team of regular collaborators, the movie is finely and expertly honed to maximize the combined fears of the ocean, the unknown, sharks and ultimately, just how cold-blooded nature can be – specifically human nature. I’m delighted with the scale and performances we’ve delivered onscreen – The Bay’s going to completely immerse and terrify audiences worldwide!“
Calum Gray of Architect added, “The Bay presents mankind’s battle with nature in its most simple, terrifying terms – a razor-sharp thriller, beguiling in its beauty, but ruthless in its execution. Phil is a premier filmmaker in his field, and The Bay is a stunning showcase for his talents.“
Deadline notes that SFX and animatronics company Bischoff’s constructed an animatronic shark for the film, so it’s good to hear that it won’t just be leaning on CGI.
Does The Bay sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this Francesca Eastwood shark thriller by leaving a comment below.
