Not Without Hope to film in Florida early 2020

UK finance and production outfit Goldfinch’s new true story drama Not Without Hope, is expected to film across Pinellas County from January, confirmed Tony Armer, St Petersburg Film Commissioner, to KFTV at the Focus production event.

British director, Rupert Wainwright, is helming the project, which is based on a best seller by Nick Schuyler, about a dramatic rescue in 2009 by the U.S. Coast Guard 70 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico following a boat accident that left three of Schuyler’s friends dead, including NFL players.

“The production team have been touring the region with the US Coast Guard, ahead of a planned January shoot,” said Armer. There is also likely to be filming done at a water tank, most likely in Hungary or Malta.

Goldfinch COO Phil McKenzie is overseeing the project on behalf of the indie studio and Rick French of Prix Productions (The True Don Quixote, Clear Lake) will produce, in association with Wainwright’s Adore Creative Content.

The project is expected to have a top line cast. Dwayne Johnson was originally slated to star in the film when it was set up at Relativity, but the mini-major studio’s bankruptcy in 2015 shelved those plans.

Pinellas county is proving a popular shooting location, thanks in large part to its stunning beaches and great weather. Recent productions include A24 Films’ Zola and psycho thriller psycho thriller I Saw A Man With Yellow Eyes, starring Harry Connick Jr.