The director of iconic comedy-romance films including Legally Blonde and Monster-in-Law is headed into horror territory with his next movie, Resurface.

Variety broke the news that Robert Luketic will direct the upcoming survival thriller for Forte Corp Pictures, which is set in the Mariana Trench, famously the deepest part of the ocean floor.

The film “chronicles the desperate race against time after an underwater earthquake devastates a deep-sea research mission at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Two stranded survivors must ascend 35,000 feet to the surface before their life support expires.”

Luketic directs from a screenplay by Pete Bridges, known for penning the script for Renny Harlin’s upcoming Deep Water. Craig McMahon (Better Man) will produce for Forte Corp Pictures alongside Todd Fellman. David Conley (Avatar: The Way of Water) will executive produce.

“At its core, this is a story about endurance and reconnection under pressure — a genre thriller that never loses sight of its humanity,” McMahon said. “From the beginning, we knew this project demanded a director who could balance both scale and intimacy. Robert brings a rare blend of visual precision, emotional depth and technical command, and we’re incredibly excited to have him on board.”

Principal photography on Resurface will take place in Melbourne.