Zachary Levi lands new role in Not Without Hope

Brief Twitter controversy notwithstanding, Zachary Levi remains booked and busy. The Shazam! Fury Of The Gods star recently faced some criticism from fans for his anti-Pfizer tweet (and subsequent resurfacing of old appearances on The Joe Rogan Experience and the Christian Broadcasting Network). Moving past the brief media firestorm, the actor has a new project on the way from Highland Film Group called Not Without Hope, written and directed by Joe Carnahan (The Grey).

“Not Without Hope follows best friends Nick Schuyler (Zachary Levi) and Will Bleakley, and NFL players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith, as they depart Clearwater, Florida for a day trip at their favorite fishing spot 70 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico,” reads a press release for the new film. “As a severe storm heads their way, a trapped anchor causes their boat to capsize, throwing the four friends violently into the freezing water. With the U.S. Coast Guard’s air and sea rescue mission thwarted by the ferocity of the massive storm, the group must fight to survive in the ultimate test of teamwork and endurance.”

The film is based on the book by Jeré Longman and the real-life Schuyler, who was the sole survivor of the tragic boating incident in 2010. “I am truly honored to be part of this deeply moving project,” Levi said in a statement. “Not Without Hope is a tragic true story of loss and courage, that’s important to share.”

“Nick Schuyler’s grueling trial at sea and his ultimate survival is a deeply inspiring tale of determination and perseverance but we have a much greater responsibility with this movie as it will hopefully serve as a lasting memorial to the men who lost their lives alongside him during that terrible ordeal,” writer-director Carnahan added in his own statement. “We have to honor their final sacrifice and never lose sight of the larger moral obligation we have as filmmakers with Not Without Hope.”

In November, Variety reported that Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Cantor would direct a documentary about the same event called Four Down. The film has what the outlet describes as an “innovative financing and distribution deal” with Web3 entertainment company Gala Film and will be produced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his Seven Bucks Production partners, among others.