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Josh Duhamel Joins Joe Carnahans Survival Thriller Not Without Hope'(EXCLUSIVE)

JoBeth Williams, Quentin Plair, Terrence Terrell, Marshall Cook, and Floriana Lima round out ensemble of adaptation of Nick Schuyler and Jere Longman’s best-seller

Josh Duhamel will join the ensemble of the survival thriller “Not Without Hope,” an adaptation of Nick Schuyler and Jere Longman’s best-selling book that will be written and directed by Joe Carnahan. Also joining the cast are JoBeth Williams, Quentin Plair, Terrence Terrell, Marshall Cook and Floriana Lima.

As previously announced, Zachary Levi (“Shazam!”) is starring in the film, which tells the real-life story of a tragic 2009 boating accident involving Schuyler, his friends Will Bleakley (Cook) and NFL players  Marquis Cooper (Plair) and Corey Smith (Terrell). Levi will play Schuyler.

The search-and rescue-operation captivated national attention. Duhamel will portray U.S. Coast Guard Captain Timothy Close, who oversaw a crew that cut through the ocean to try to find the friends who went missing. Carnahan has some experience orchestrating survival tales, having previously directed “The Grey,” which found Liam Neeson battling very hungry wolves after a plane crash stranded his character in a snowy mountain range. This time the foes are a raging sea, dehydration, severe hypothermia and various marine predators. At one point, “Not Without Hope” was slated to be made as a film starring Miles Teller, but production delays due to COVID scrambled those plans.

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The film is produced by Carnahan; Michael Jefferson, Adam Beasley and Cindy Bru of Volition Media; Kia Jam of K. Jam Media; Dean Altit of Altit Media Group; Rick French of Prix Productions; David Lipper and Robert A. Daly Jr of Latigo Films, Alla Belaya, Vadim Fortunin, Jean-Pierre Magro, and Highland Film Group. 

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Production is underway in Malta. Highland Film Group is handling international rights to “Not Without Hope,” with CAA Media Finance handling the domestic rights. The film is co-financed by GALA Media Capital.

“Josh Duhamel is a great addition to our ensemble cast and will bring a nuanced intensity to the role of the US Coast Guard Captain who leads the heroic rescue mission in this true story of brotherhood and survival. Not Without Hope is based on tragic events, but it is also filled with a lot of courage, hope and heart,” said Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser and COO Delphine Perrier.

Duhamel starred in Michael Bay’s “Transformers” film series, as well as “Ramona and Beezus,” “When in Rome,” “Love, Simon” and “Shotgun Wedding.”

Williams is best known for her work in “Poltergeist” and “The Big Chill.” She has received three Emmy Award nominations for her work in the television movie “Adam,” the miniseries “Baby M” and TV series “Frasier.” She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film for her short film “On Hope.”

Plair is currently starring in Hulu’s limited series “Tiny Beautiful Things” and also in Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales.”  He most recently starred in Showtime’s limited series “The Good Lord Bird.”

Terrell won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in the Emmy Award-winning digital drama series “Giants.” He then starred in the CBS comedy “B Positive.” Most recently he recurred in the “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” for Peacock, and he will star in the upcoming Netflix action-comedy “Obliterated.”

Cook recently starred opposite Omar Sy, Kerry Washington and Mark Strong in “Shadow Force.” He also stars in “Copshop” opposite Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo.  He’s recurred on Amazon’s “Goliath” with Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton and was the lead in the indie thriller “Hunting Lands.” 

Lima starred in “A Million Little Things” and appeared on “The Punisher” and “Supergirl.”

Duhamel is repped by Creative Artists Agency; Williams is repped by Coronel Group and SDB Partners; Plair is repped by  Innovative Artists, Monogram Management Group and imPRint; Terrell is repped by Rachel Sheedy at INSURGE-Ent, Reena Patton, and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc.; Cook is repped by Magnolia Entertainment and Meyer & Downs; Lima is repped by Gersh, Industry Entertainment, and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman. 

Highland Film Group’s current sales slate also includes the survival thriller “The Ridge” starring Billy Magnussen; the horror film “Rosario” starring Emeraude Toubia; Simon West’s action comedy “Old Guy” starring Christoph Waltz, Lucy Liu and Cooper Hoffman; and Adam Cooper’s crime thriller “Sleeping Dogs”starring Russell Crowe and Karen Gillan.

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