Kentis Dives in ‘Indianapolis’

Quick Links  Indianapolis  Chris Kentis  Warner Bros. Pictures  Open Water

You remember Open Water, that scary summer hit a few years back about the scuba couple stranded in shark infested seas, right? Or if not, you definitely recall the scene in Jaws where they tell the story of the WWII boat the Indianapolis, no? Well even if you missed either of these mega money makers, director Chris Kentis and producer Laura Lau want to make sure you don’t miss the next shark attack, Indianapolis.

An adaptation of Douglas Stanton’s book “In Harm’s Way.” Indianapolis is the tale of the WWII U.S.S. Indianapolis, sunk by a Japanese sub following a secret mission to deliver materials for the atomic bomb that would be dropped on Hiroshima. The men floated for five days in the Philippine Sea; only 317 of an estimated 900 who abandoned ship were pulled from the shark-infested waters.

Although Warner Bros. Pictures has tried to make this film a number of times before (Mel Gibson and J.J. Abrams were both behind a similar project at some point), it was not until Kentis and Lau came aboard did they take the bait. Kentis, who says he made Open Water to prove his ability to take on Indianapolis, promises this film will be more than hand-held shots in the water: “This is a story of heroism and selflessness, one that gives us the chance to consider that in a dire situation, you can’t predict how people are going to react and who is going to emerge as that heroic figure.”