Zachary Levi Takes Lead Role in Movie About 2009 Tampa Bay Boating Tragedy

In a powerful real-life story, Zachary Levi plays Tampa local Nick Schuyler, the only person who made it out alive from a deadly 2009 boating accident off Florida's Gulf Coast that claimed three lives.

Coming to theaters nationwide December 12 through Inaugural Entertainment, the movie premieres at the Austin Film Festival October 25. Its theatrical release continues into 2025.

Marshall Cook plays former USF athlete Will Bleakley, while NFL players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith are brought to screen by Quentin Plair and Terrence Terrell. Josh Duhamel joins the lineup as Coast Guard Captain Timothy Close.

Though set in Tampa Bay, director Joe Carnahan filmed everything in Malta. The movie follows four friends whose fishing trip goes horribly wrong when their boat flips over 70 miles from land.

Based on Schuyler's New York Times bestseller, the movie shows how the men battle against harsh weather and sea. JoBeth Williams steps into the heartbreaking role of Nick's mother Marcia, with Floriana Lima playing Paula.

Another film, "Four Down," took top prize at St. Petersburg's Sunscreen Film Festival in April 2025, but won't hit screens until after this movie finishes its run.

The newly dropped trailer features dramatic scenes of survival at sea. For Carnahan, this brings him back to familiar territory after directing "The Grey," another story of humans fighting nature.