Kiss Frontman Gene Simmons Produces New Plane Disaster Film ‘Deep Water’
Accra, Ghana – A new disaster thriller, ‘Deep Water’, produced by Kiss frontman Gene Simmons, is set to premiere in the United States on Thursday. The film, which blends action and horror, stars Oscar-winner Sir Ben Kingsley and Aaron Eckhart.
Directed by Finnish filmmaker Renny Harlin—known for ‘Die Hard 2’, ‘Cliffhanger’, and ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street 4’—the film follows passengers on a flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai that makes an emergency landing in the ocean, leaving them at the mercy of a school of hungry mako sharks.
Harlin described the film as a human drama at its core. “If you took away the plane crash and you took away the sharks…it’s all about those people put in an extraordinary situation and seeing who they really are,” he told AFP.
This marks another aquatic thriller for the 67-year-old director, who previously helmed ‘Deep Blue Sea’ (1999) starring Samuel L. Jackson. The film also attracted Simmons, the make-up wearing bassist and vocalist of Kiss, who said he feels constantly drawn to the creative process that makes cinema possible.
Simmons, a frequent traveler who toured the world with the band, recounted a less-than-scary memory during a flight to Tokyo. He recalled getting up to use the restroom, forgetting to lock the door, and an off-duty flight attendant “decided there was room for two,” he added with a grin.
This development occurs against a backdrop of growing global interest in disaster and survival films, particularly those set in extreme environments. Industry insiders suggest that the combination of a plane crash and shark attack taps into primal fears, making it a potentially compelling watch for audiences worldwide.
The implications for the regional market are twofold: first, the film’s release may spark renewed interest in disaster cinema across West Africa, where local filmmakers have increasingly explored similar themes. Second, the involvement of a major rock star like Simmons could draw crossover audiences, blending music and film fandoms.
Analysts often point to the enduring appeal of survival narratives in regions with limited access to blockbuster cinema, where such stories resonate with local experiences of resilience and community.
Source Content: Channels Television