Lionsgate has acquired North American and U.K. distribution rights to “Wet,” the next film from writer-director Alma Har’el, with a cast led by “Heated Rivalry” breakout Connor Storrie and a lineup that includes Rebecca Ferguson and Javier Bardem. The studio bought the rights from Fifth Season and 193, a Legendary company. Financial terms were not disclosed. Production is scheduled to begin in the Dominican Republic in 2027, and no release date has been set.
Har’el, who directed “Honey Boy” and the Apple TV+ series “Lady in the Lake,” co-wrote the script with Christian Stangeby. The studio has not released a plot. The film has been described as a “wildly seductive, high-seas caper,” according to TheWrap. Fifth Season, 193, Har’el, Christopher Leggett and Riva Marker of Linden Entertainment are producing. Alongside Storrie, Ferguson of “Dune” and “Silo,” and Bardem, the cast includes Odessa A’zion of “Marty Supreme,” the Spanish singer Rosalía and Lukas Haas of “Spider-Noir.”
Adam Fogelson, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, called the script and package “undeniable.” Scott O’Brien and MaryGrace Stephenson will oversee the project for Lionsgate. Har’el told The Hollywood Reporter she has had to find humor in chaos lately and wants the film to be one that “refuses to behave.”
The billing carries its own message. Early reports described Bardem as the lead, with Storrie among actors in talks. Announcements this week list Storrie first, a change that one entertainment outlet read as a sign that Lionsgate plans to sell the film on his rising profile. Neither the studio nor Har’el has addressed that reading, and cast order alone proves little about how the movie will be marketed.
Storrie has moved quickly since “Heated Rivalry” made him a recognizable name. The Hollywood Reporter says he is also in talks to join Ryan Gosling in Marvel’s “Ghost Rider.” Studios see value in actors with an engaged online following, and “Wet” gives Lionsgate a way to pair that audience with an auteur-driven ensemble. For Har’el, the deal secures a major distributor for a film built around an unpredictable mix of talent and tone. The unanswered questions are the plot, the budget and the date it reaches theaters.
