Ben Affleck And Ana De Armas' Thriller Deep Water Going Straight To Streaming
It looks like the erotic thriller blockbuster won't be making a comeback as soon as we'd hoped. The Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas-led film "Deep Water" was pulled from theatrical release calendars last week. Deadline now reports that the 20th Century Studios/New Regency movie will not be rescheduled theatrically. Instead, it will go directly to streaming on Hulu, with Amazon handling streaming outside the United States.
Adult Cinema Is Taking A Theatrical Hit
"Deep Water" is director Adrian Lyne's first project since 2002's "Unfaithful" (above). "Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson and "Stranger Than Fiction" writer Zach Helm penned the script, which is based on a Patricia Highsmith novel. The film follows Vic and Melinda Van Allen (played by Affleck and De Armas, respectively), a married couple who sustain their marriage by taking lovers with one another's knowledge and consent. Unfortunately, this arrangement comes with a body count. People around the Van Allens soon start to die off, escalating their already-intense relationship.
For a film like "Deep Water," the move from theatrical to streaming makes a lot of sense. This year, the only sure box office breakthroughs have been superhero movies and children's fare. Most recently, Steven Spielberg's critically adored, highly anticipated take on "West Side Story" opened with $10.5 million in its first weekend, indicating audiences are still wary of returning to theaters.
"Deep Water" Still Has Plenty Of Intrigue
There are still countless reasons to get excited for "Deep Water," even if it's only available at home. For starters, Lyne's track record is one of the best in the erotic thriller business; his biggest hit, "Fatal Attraction," grossed $320 million worldwide, and he's also the man behind other, more polarizing landmarks of the steamy film subgenre, like "9 1/2 Weeks" and "Indecent Proposal." Lyne's first film in 20 years is nothing to sneeze at, and the presence of Levinson, whose show "Euphoria" is one of the most intentionally provocative on TV, makes the project even more intriguing.
There's also the inevitable intrigue of de Armas and Affleck as co-stars. The two were romantically linked in real life last year, but audiences have never actually seen them as co-stars. Affleck has perfectly embodied a shady husband before, in 2014's "Gone Girl," while De Armas steals every scene she's in, from "Knives Out" to "No Time To Die." The film's supporting cast also includes Jacob Elordi, Lil Rel Howery, Tracy Letts, Rachel Blanchard, Finn Wittrock, and Kristen Connolly.
"Deep Water" was originally slated for theatrical release on January 14, 2022. Its Hulu streaming premiere date has not yet been announced.