“Deep Water” is set to make a big splash.
Renny Harlin’s survival thriller, produced by KISS frontman Gene Simmons, is set to open the Sarasota Film Festival on April 10, with both Harlin and Simmons in attendance. The premiere lands ahead of the movie’s wide release on May 1.
“Deep Water” stars Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Molly Belle Wright, Angus Sampson and Kelly Gale. It follows a flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai that goes down in the middle of the Pacific — but the crash is just the beginning of the survivors’ problems, as they find themselves in shark-infested waters.
This is actually the second shark-filled thriller that Harlin has directed, after 1999’s “Deep Blue Sea,” about genetically engineered sharks that escape from an oceanic research facility (at the time, it was described as “Jurassic Shark”). Harlin’s other hits include “Die Hard 2,” “Cliffhanger,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight” and the damnably underrated “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.” He also recently completed a trilogy of “Strangers” films.
“I’m grateful to the Sarasota Film Festival and the community for welcoming ‘Deep Water’ as their opening night film. We made this movie to be experienced with an audience; to feel the tension, the spectacle and the humanity together in a theater,” Harlin shared in a Friday statement. “There’s something especially fitting about sharing an ocean survival story in a beautiful city by the sea.”
Simmons, who will be returning to the festival after attending the opening night party in 2006, added: “’Deep Water’ is a terrific action thriller starring Sir Kingsley and Aaron Eckhart. Directed by Renny Harlin, this is the kind of movie I love. Grab your popcorn, sit back and fasten your safety belts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
After the “Deep Water” screening, there will be a discussion involving oceanography with marine life experts. “We are excited to open the 2026 Sarasota Film Festival with ‘Deep Water.’ Renny Harlin has crafted a pulse-pounding thriller that is exactly the kind of bold, cinematic experience we love to bring to our audiences,” said SFF president Mark Famiglio. “With an extraordinary cast and producer Gene Simmons making his return to SFF, this is going to be an unforgettable night to kick off the festival. We are also thrilled to welcome some of the world’s leading shark experts and scientists, who will bring a fascinating real-world perspective to the film and spark what promises to be an incredible conversation.”
Previously, the closing night film had been announced as “In the Hand of Dante,” directed by Julian Schnabel, who will also be honored with the Achievement in Directing Award. Additionally, the festival will feature a series of panels with highlights like a fireside chat with stunt coordinator Jayson Dumenigo exploring the craft behind Hollywood’s most iconic action sequences and offering a behind-the-scenes look at the precision and artistry of stunt work; a timely conversation at Ringling College of Art and Design examining AI’s role in animation; and a free, family-friendly Sports and Business panel at New College, featuring a youth soccer clinic led by notable athletes, internationally themed food trucks and an outdoor film screening in celebration of Florida’s role in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
