New film release | Above The Below

Idris Elba has signed on to star in the survival thriller Above the Below, with Lionsgate acquiring worldwide distribution rights to the project. Elba, who was previously attached to the U.K. independent feature as a director, will also take on a starring role in the film.

Production commenced last week at Pinewood Studios, utilising two sound stages including the facility’s renowned underwater stage. Elba will co-direct the film alongside Martin Owen, whose previous work includes The Loneliest Boy in the World. The cast also features Caitlin FitzGerald and Hero Fiennes Tiffin, reuniting Fiennes Tiffin with Owen following their earlier collaboration.

Above the Below follows three astronauts who narrowly survive a catastrophic and violent re-entry to Earth, only to discover their capsule has veered drastically off course. Isolated from all communication and rapidly descending into the ocean’s depths, the crew must confront a race against time as their environment becomes increasingly hostile.

Elba portrays Jackson, the mission’s commanding officer. FitzGerald stars as Brooks, a resolute and driven co-pilot, while Fiennes Tiffin plays Rhodes, a first-time astronaut whose idealism is tested under extreme pressure.

The screenplay was developed by Future Artists Entertainment, based on an original concept by Owen, and written by Elizabeth Morris, Matt Mitchell and Vicki Sargent.

Elba previously made his feature directorial debut with Yardie and has starred in a wide range of high-profile projects, including Hijack, Beast, the Thor franchise, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Luther, The Harder They Fall and The Suicide Squad. FitzGerald’s credits include Masters of Sex, Succession and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Fiennes Tiffin is next set to appear opposite Henry Cavill in Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, scheduled for release by Lionsgate in 2024. He first gained attention as a child actor in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and most recently appeared in The Woman King alongside Viola Davis and John Boyega.

Commenting on the production, Matt Williams, CEO of Future Artists Entertainment, said the film represents an ambitious undertaking. He described the project as a technically demanding and exhilarating production that spans from the edge of Earth’s atmosphere to the depths of the ocean, adding that the collaboration with Elba and Owen is shaping the film into a powerful exploration of survival under extreme conditions.

Williams is producing alongside Gina Carter, with Pascal Degove, former managing director of Goldcrest Films, serving as executive producer.