Rupert Wainwright will no longer direct “Not Without Hope,” a survival drama with Miles Teller that was scheduled to start shooting in the Dominican Republic this August.
The filmmaker’s exit is being attributed to “creative differences.” The production is now looking for a new director, a search that will likely push back filming by at least a few weeks. Wainwright’s previous credits include “Stigmata,” “The Fog” and “Blank Check.”
“Not Without Hope” tells the story of Nick Schuyler, who managed to survive hours in the freezing water after his boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico. Schuyler was on a fishing trip with three friends, two of whom were Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper and free-agent NFL defensive lineman Corey Smith. Their brutal ordeal became a major news story. The film is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Schuyler and Jere Longman. E. Nicholas Mariani wrote the screenplay. The project was being shopped at this year’s virtual Cannes Film Market.
“Not Without Hope” was expected to be one of the first films to go back into production in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Teller’s upcoming films include “Top Gun: Maverick” and “After Exile.”
CAA Media Finance put the film together. A spokesperson for Wainwright did not immediately return a call for comment.