Idris Elba is stuck in a sinking space capsule in his next movie. Lionsgate shared a new look at Above The Below yesterday, the survival thriller that Elba co-directed with Martin Owen and stars in, as the film closes in on its theatrical release on Friday, December 4. Check out the official post down below:
Elba plays Jackson, one of 3 astronauts who survive a disaster in space only to crash-land in the crushing depths of the ocean. Their vessel is forced off course during re-entry, and once their capsule goes down, the crew is cut off from mission control with their oxygen running out. Lionsgate's description says every breath could be the crew's last as the choices get harder and the dangers multiply.
Caitlin FitzGerald plays Brooks and Hero Fiennes Tiffin plays Rhodes, the other 2 members of the crew. Fiennes Tiffin's character is an idealistic astronaut on a mission of survival after the botched re-entry.
FitzGerald, who also appeared in UnREAL and Blue Bloods, is known for playing Libby Masters in Showtime's Masters of Sex and Simone in Starz's Sweetbitter, and her film work includes The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Lost on a Mountain in Maine. Fiennes Tiffin played the young Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, starred as Hardin Scott in the After films and now plays Sherlock Holmes in Prime Video's Young Sherlock.
Elba Directs And Stars
Above The Below is Elba's latest film as a director. He made his directorial debut with Yardie in 2018, and this time he shares the job with Owen while also playing the lead.
Elba is best known for playing Stringer Bell in HBO's The Wire and DCI John Luther in the BBC One series Luther, which earned him a Golden Globe and 4 Primetime Emmy nominations. He received another Emmy nomination in 2023 for the Apple TV+ thriller series Hijack, set aboard a hijacked plane.
Owen created the story, and the screenplay was written by Elizabeth Morris, Matt Mitchell and Vicki Sargent. Gina Carter and Matt Williams produced the film, which Lionsgate presents as a Future Artists Entertainment production. Mark Silk is the cinematographer, Ben Mills edited the film and Roger Goula composed the score.
Lionsgate first announced the project at the American Film Market in 2023 with Elba and Owen attached as co-directors, and the cast was announced the following month. Filming started in November 2023 in London at Pinewood Studios, where the production used the studio's underwater stage, and wrapped by February 2024.
David Lee served as the production VFX supervisor, with Clear Angle Studios, Dimension Studios and DNEG among the visual effects companies on the film. Above The Below runs 87 minutes, is rated R for language and opens in U.S. theaters on December 4, with no streaming date announced.
The Official Trailer
Lionsgate released the trailer for Above The Below on October 20 with the tagline "They made it back from space. Now the ocean has them..." It can be seen here:
What Else Elba Has Coming
Elba also played Man-At-Arms in this year's Masters of the Universe, and he stars with Chris Hemsworth in Extraction 3, which recently started filming with director Sam Hargrave.
Elba has also addressed the long-running talk about him playing James Bond, telling fans that the rumors were "never legit" and that he was never seriously considered for the role.
Would you watch Idris Elba try to survive at the bottom of the ocean on the big screen, or is a trapped capsule thriller better suited to watching at home?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.