Deep Water director Renny Harlin, producer Gene Simmons, and star Aaron Eckhart discuss the thrilling new film in this interview.
Directed by Renny Harlin and produced by Gene Simmons, Deep Water takes audiences from the claustrophobia of a mid-air plane disaster to the terrifying horror of shark-infested waters. Starring Aaron Eckhart and Sir Ben Kingsley, the film explores the primal fears of the unknown, forcing survivors to confront both the elements and the apex predators lurking beneath the surface.
Mama’s Geeky’s Jamie Jirak recently sat down with director Renny Harlin, producer Gene Simmons, and lead actor Aaron Eckhart to discuss the making of this film. From the intense technical challenges of shooting a plane crash to the camaraderie on set, the talent behind Deep Water deep dives, pun intended, into the making of this thriller.
A Conversation with Renny Harlin and Gene Simmons
Mama’s Geeky: How do you two work together creatively on a project like this?
Gene Simmons: “It begins on a piece of paper that’s blank… and eventually, if they’re great, Academy Award-winning actors like Sir Ben Kingsley … and Aaron Eckhart… are attracted. But the first question your Academy Award-winning actor is going to ask is, ‘Who’s directing?’ because at the end of the day, the words on a page don’t come alive and don’t have resonance and import until if and when there’s somebody who knows what they’re doing”.
Renny Harlin: “I like to do things in an old-school way. Instead of using AI or digital technology or what have you, I like doing things physically because I think the audience will feel it”.
Gene Simmons: “You’ve got to make the people—and I’m the idiot in the peanut gallery here just making a comment—you’ve got to somehow make people, millions and millions of people, care about the people saying those words and almost put yourself in that predicament, which is what gets you the thrills and the chills and so on. And that’s where the magic happens. And only one person is responsible for that, the magic man”.
Renny Harlin: “The actors had to be 30 feet underwater and the divers would give them oxygen. And then when I said action, the divers would go away and then the actors had to act there for a minute or two underwater in very tough circumstances”.
A Conversation with Aaron Eckhart
Mama’s Geeky: I was wondering what kind of training went into making this? Did you learn anything from your experience in Sully that carried over into this role?
Aaron Eckhart: Tom Hanks and I were able to go to a cockpit and virtually fly a plane in the real deal, which was very helpful. You can become intimate with not only the physical action but also the mental action of a pilot by watching pilots on YouTube record themselves. I spent some time in the seat myself when I was on certification to be a pilot—I didn’t get my certification, but I have flown planes. It helps with the details to make it believable.
Mama’s Geeky: What is it about Renny Harlin’s directing style that brings you back to work with him?
Aaron Eckhart: I just like him personally. He’s a great director with a great personality; he loves filmmaking, has a great family, and he’s fun to make movies with. At the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to. He lets you do what you want, his direction is good, and he knows filmmaking backwards and forwards. He’s prepared, and he’s a nice guy while he’s doing it. He challenges you and he’s appreciative of you when you do good work.
Mama’s Geeky: Did his experience on Deep Blue Sea come up on set?
Aaron Eckhart: No, but Rennie does reference films all the time. He’s a big cinephile. He’s always putting references in movies, saying this shot looks like this or this is an ode to this filmmaker.
Mama’s Geeky: What do you think is the key to a good disaster movie?
Aaron Eckhart: I think the key is the unknown, because we always make the unknown bigger than ourselves. People go to the ocean, and people don’t understand the ocean. The fear is with the ocean—the “we’re not supposed to be here” factor.
Mama’s Geeky: How was filming that plane crash sequence?
Aaron Eckhart: Everybody flies at one point or another, and they’ve all rehearsed this in their head. Getting up in the cockpit, it’s fun to reenact that—to go from zero to a hundred, problem-solve on the fly, and coordinate that as an acting exercise. Sir Ben and I had to go through eight pages of pilot speak as fast as we could and touch buttons at the same time. It’s a lot of fun when you get it right.
For more on Deep Water, watch our full interview video.
About Deep Water
A flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai goes down in the middle of the Pacific. After surviving the crash, the survivors soon discover they’re not alone and they must survive the shark infested waters.
Deep Water comes to theaters on May 1st.
