'Deepwater Horizon' Disaster Now Becoming A Movie

Where we try to withhold judgement, and fail

By Corwin Neuse Jul 25, 2012 8:40AM

It took five years for Hollywood to try to monetize the terrible terrorist attacks of September 11th. (And in light of Hollywood's normally rapacious, amoral nature, perhaps such restraint should be applauded.) To America's credit, neither "United 93" nor "World Trade Center" were exactly runaway hits, and the people who sought to profit off the tragic deaths of thousands were mostly left empty-handed. (But not completely empty-handed, alas. Also note that had the studios and filmmakers behind the films pledged even a portion of their profits to a fund for the victims, or even the FDNY, our tone might be different.)

In that context, we suppose it shouldn't surprise us that Hollywood is already planning to monetize the horrible Deepwater Horizon disaster. The April 20, 2010 explosion on the offshore drilling rig killed 11 people, injured 17 others, and caused an (on-going) oil spill that has affected millions of lives, wreaked untold environmental havoc, and caused tens of billions of dollars of damage. Sounds like appropriate subject matter for an Academy Award nominated documentary. But for a dramatic thriller, about the bravery of those working on the oil well that day? We hope the filmmakers manage to squeeze a "Titanic"-style love triangle in there, if only because that would allow us to hate it, sight unseen, with that much more righteous vitriol.

Who is perpetrating this crass offense to kindness, decency, and better human nature? Summit Entertainment, purveyors of the "Twilight" saga—color us unsurprised—and director Ric Roman Waugh, a former stuntman who worked on such pictures as "Total Recall," "Hook," and "Gone In 60 Seconds." Good luck to them.

[via Deadline]

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2Comments

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Jul 25, 2012 4:24PM

Hollywood turns a real-life disaster, such as the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico when the BP oil rig blew up, into a major motion picture? Wow!!! Those guys in Hollywood sure know a good disaster pic when they see one!!!

Previous replies

Sanetalker

Jul 25, 2012 6:06PM

They're going to pack it with hot babes playing parts such as the "beautiful but self-assured female oil rig worker/supervisor/scientist/helicopter pilot/fireboat captain/ER doctor/etc., and the male roles will all be buffoons.