Movie about the doomed OceanGate Titan submersible is in the works with The Blackening’s E. Brian Dobbins set to co-produce despite a huge backlash online

The undersea tragedy Titan, which made headlines earlier this summer, will be made into a movie.

The film, tentatively titled Salvaged, comes from the mind of one of the key producers behind Black-ish and will cover periods before, during and after the five-day tragedy.

A pair of relatively unknown writers have been attached to pen the story, which serves as part of an upcoming series of docuseries projects from the presiding studio.

Other films in the work include a project based on Seattle’s emerging underground rap scene, and another about various Girl Scouts groups in North America and beyond.

However, Salvaged – as the name suggests – tries to remove all doubts about the tragedy by offering a clear story around the five who died. It also comes on the heels of producer E Brian Dobbins’ most recent release, in The Blackening – a ‘black comedy’ slasher film set over a weekend in June.

A file photo of the Titan submarine before its doomed voyage to the Titanic wreck in June, which killed five people on board

Speaking to Deadline last week — just over three months after what was left of the imploded five-person submarine was fished out of the Atlantic Ocean — one of the film’s writers compared the incident to another relatively recent tragedy that spawned a spinoff of got a movie.

“The Titan tragedy is reminiscent of the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster,” recalls MindRiot Entertainment’s Justin MacGregor, who in addition to co-writing the film also serves as the studio’s head of European content.

“It’s a tragedy I will never forget,” he continued about the disaster in Florida that claimed seven more lives.

The disaster he and co-writer Jonathan Keasey – the founder of the Washington State Studio – are tasked with retelling is decidedly different, but shares some similarities.

First, the Challenger explosion – as the unforeseen destruction of the Titan was retold just four years after the failed launch, a timeline that MindRiot, three months removed from the Oceangate catastrophe, wants to recreate and even accelerate.

The film is still in the early stages of pre-production and has yet to receive a release date, but if the studio’s other projects are any indicators, it can be expected within the next few years.

Dobbins – whose oeuvre includes shows like Mixed-ish and Grown, and films like 2015’s Matthew McConnaughey-led The Sea of ​​Trees and 2023’s White Men Can’t Jump – has not yet commented on the film, which only was announced on Friday.

His other regular writer, Keasey, had some nice words for Deadline about how he and MacGregor would approach the project – with the studio founder saying on Friday that it will attempt “a more macro concern about the nature of media today ‘ to deal with.

Debris from the Titan submarine, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from a ship

Pictured: File photo of the inside of the OceanGate Expeditions submarine currently missing with five people on board

The relatively new writer, a recognized lawyer and filmmaker, said the unfinished film would also have more “nuance” – and “not the salacious bait crammed down our throats by those looking for their five minutes of fame.”

He told the outlet, “The Titan Tragedy is yet another example of an ill-informed and quick-to-strike system, in this case our non-stop, 24-7 media cycle that condemns and ruins the lives of so many people without any due process. .

“Our film will not only honor all those involved in the underwater tragedy and their families, but the feature film will also serve as a tool that also addresses a more macroeconomic concern about the nature of media today.”

He continued, without going into detail about the larger implications behind his claims: “Truth is all that matters. And the world always has the right to know the truth.”

The aspiring filmmaker – who also works as a professor at Seattle University – added: “Life is not black and white. It’s complicated. There is nuance. Always add nuance.’

The 21-foot Titan lost contact with its mother ship on June 18 when it descended about 10,000 feet to the ocean floor — where pieces of the ship were found days later by a remotely operated rescue submarine

Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman were on board the ill-fated Titan, along with British billionaire Hamish Harding. All three are presumed dead after the ship imploded nearly 10,000 feet below the surface

French explorer PH Nargeolet and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush are among those trapped in the submarine

The story surrounding Titan 5 became an international news story in June, when the 21-foot Titan lost contact with its mother ship on June 18 as it descended about 10,000 feet toward the ocean floor.

Days later, after much speculation about the fate of the passengers and whether they were trapped in the hull with exhausting air, pieces of the ship were found by a remotely operated rescue submarine near the wreck of the liner, ending the searches. associated intrigues.

Legal experts say the implosion occurred “basically in a regulatory no man’s land” and that jurisdiction will be difficult to determine, both for the families and for the investigations.

Any disputes regarding the waivers would likely be governed by the laws of the Bahamas, where OceanGate is registered – but families could also seek to invalidate the waiver in the US and file a lawsuit there or in their home country.

Releases of liability – also called release forms – are common before engaging in recreational activities that involve some degree of risk, such as skydiving or scuba diving.

By signing the document, passengers generally accept the risks and dangers associated with the activity and if they are injured, they release the company owner from liability.

An investigation into the Titan’s demise is still ongoing.