Renny Harlin's Black Tides has found its leading man. John Travolta is set to join the project as the lead, Bill Pierce, the estranged father and grandfather of Rebecca and her son, Sebastian. Black Tides is an animal-attack thriller about a family's boat being attacked by rogue orcas off the coast of Spain. The movie is based off the real-life encounters of orcas attacking boats in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Travolta, star of Pulp Fiction, Grease, and many other blockbuster hits is certainly going to bring the weight of his star power to Black Tides. According to Deadline, Harlin had this to say about Travolta's involvement:
“John Travolta brings the perfect combination of grit, depth, vulnerability and charisma to the character of Bill Pierce, the estranged father, that achingly captures the tragedies of family dynamics,” said Harlin. “I can’t wait to show fans of big screen cinema how his movie star presence and physicality will add gravity to the epic action sequences and deeply emotional personal drama. As a director, I consider myself fortunate to join a list of acclaimed filmmakers who’ve had the privilege of getting to know John as an artist and a person.”
What I love about John Travolta joining the cast of Black Tides is that because the cast is so limited, you need actors who are going to carry the story. Personally, I love horror films with a smaller cast because it adds to the claustrophobia and terror of what's happening to the characters. I think it works really well in this genre. I also think that's what made Deep Blue Sea so effective. There's only a small crew of scientists, a chef, and shark-wrangler left on this floating prison-like structure when the action starts.
I also think a smaller cast allows for the actors and characters to shine. You get to know them and feel for them. With Travolta and Harlin, you have a real opportunity to make a family drama that just happens to be set on a boat in the middle of the ocean surrounded by the world's leading apex predator. Throwing a family in turmoil together and forcing them to either deal or die while under attack is going to make for a thrilling watch.
It'll be interesting to see how they round out the cast and flesh out the characters amidst the craziness of still being an animal-attack thriller. I look forward to seeing what John Travolta is going to bring on board and where Renny Harlin is going to take us with Black Tides.
Be sure to check back for more info! Black Tides begins shooting this summer!