Deepwater Horizon
Short description
Deepwater Horizon is a dramatisation of events aboard the offshore drilling rig of that name in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. The crew, led by rig boss Jimmy Harrell and chief electronics technician Mike Williams, prepares to bring a well into production. Pressure readings suggest the well is unstable, but a visiting executive from the company leasing the rig presses ahead over the technicians' objections. The result is a blowout: gas and oil surge up the pipe, explosions tear through the platform, and the workers find themselves fighting to escape a burning structure far from land.
Peter Berg directed, working from a screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Matthew Sand and J.C. Chandor. The film is the ninth of thirteen he has directed in chronological order, following Patriots Day and preceding Mile 22. Mark Wahlberg, who also produced, plays Williams; Kurt Russell plays Harrell, John Malkovich plays Donald Vidrine, and Gina Rodriguez, Dylan O'Brien and Kate Hudson appear among a credited cast of 86, with 116 credited crew.
Released in September 2016, the film had a budget of 110 million USD and took about 122 million USD worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.1/10 from around 198,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 6.9/10 from roughly 5,000 votes. Film critics' reviews average 6.9/10, closely matching the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The second film starring Mark Wahlberg directed by Peter Berg. The first was the war drama "Lone Survivor" (2013). Both films are based on real events.
- Kate Hudson posted a photo of her stepfather Kurt Russell on Instagram and wrote that "Deepwater Horizon" will be the first film in which they star together.
- Mike Williams, one of the survivors of the oil platform accident, provided significant assistance to the film crew.
- The film received a long ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2016.
- Mark Wahlberg received a call from the producers who told him that the film required a duo of two actors – older and younger. Wahlberg began calling actor friends who were older than himself – like Jack Nicholson. Only later did he learn that the producers had chosen him for the older actor's role, and they wanted someone like Dylan O'Brien as his partner.
- Emma Stone was offered a role in the film, but the actress declined because the script was not yet fully ready.
- Filming wrapped on August 7, 2015.
- An oil platform was specially built for filming in Chalmette, Louisiana, where most of the shooting took place. It was named the largest set ever built for a film.
- The sixth film in Mark Wahlberg's career based on real events. Previous such films with the actor included "The Perfect Storm" (Wolfgang Petersen, 2000), "We Own the Night" (Ericson Core, 2006), "The Fighter" (David O. Russell, 2010), "Pain & Gain" (Michael Bay, 2013), and "Lone Survivor" (Peter Berg, 2013).
- Kristen Stewart was offered the lead female role in the film, but she declined due to commitments to other projects.
- Mike Williams, played by Mark Wahlberg, tells Donald Vidrine, played by John Malkovich, that "hope is not a tactic." The film's tagline is "In a time of crisis, hope is not a tactic."
- Initially, J.C. Chandor was chosen as the director, but he soon left the project due to creative differences with the producers.
- Director Peter Berg appeared in a cameo role in the film. He played Mr. Skip, with whom Jimmy, as portrayed by Kurt Russell, speaks after landing on the platform and the helicopter taking off.
- The film is based on true events.
- Tracey D. Edwards, a country singer and actor, played a cameo role in the film. Before pursuing a professional music career (releasing his first album in 1996), Edwards himself worked on oil rigs.
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