5 reasons to watch 'The Shallows'.

In celebration of the release of ‘The Shallows’ - the new shark thriller film starring Blake Lively, which is out now in NZ cinemas! - we’ve compiled a few reasons why you should definitely make it the next film you watch.

Here’s the official synopsis on the film if you’re unfamiliar with it:

“Still reeling from the loss of her mother, medical student Nancy Adams (Blake Lively) travels to a secluded beach for some much-needed solace. Despite the danger of surfing alone, Nancy decides to soak up the sun and hit the waves. Suddenly, a great white shark attacks, forcing her to swim to a giant rock for safety. Left injured and stranded 200 yards from shore, the frightened young woman must fight for her life as the deadly predator circles her in its feeding ground.”

#1. All of ‘The Shallows’ was filmed on the stunning Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, meaning the scenery throughout the film is incredible. Duncan Jones, the film’s location manager says the following: “It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s governed by a national park, all the waters around it are governed by a marine park, and all of the people who live on the island are fifth- and sixth-generation islanders, who bring a deep and intrinsic value to everything that happens on the island.  The location is really the heart and soul of the film.”

It’s a setting filled with plants and animals that can’t be found anywhere else in the world, adding a unique touch to the film. Blake Lively says of Lord Howe Island: “It was really special to get to shoot there. Such a beautiful, pristine dot of land in the middle of the ocean. It’s a little hidden treasure.  After this film, everybody is going to want to go there, because it’s that captivating on camera.”

#2. The film’s director, Jaume Collet-Serra had to team up with the art department for the design of the shark. “I came to the conclusion that the shark had to be a female,” says the director. “Females are slightly bigger, and most have great scars from mating. Visually, they’re scarier, as they are more protective.”

And he’s not wrong - the shark looks pretty terrifying... (This is actually from the film's showcase at Cannes, so it's not the real shark. You'll just have to watch the film yourself to see the real shark!)

#3. There’s a seagull named Sully in the film that became crucial to the story, however it wasn’t originally in the plans for the film. They originally considered using a CG bird, however realised quickly that it wouldn’t work - CG seagulls have never worked well in films.

“So we went to our animal trainer, Katie Brock-Medland, and asked, ‘Have you ever trained a seagull?’” says producer Lynn Harris. “She is the most patient, kind, loving animal whisperer in the world – and somehow, she ended up training the seagull.  It’s extraordinary – we would not have the movie we have without Sully.”

One of the film’s producers Matti Leshem in particular became attached to the bird. Just ask him. “I took a real interest in him, and I really believed in our animal trainers, and it paid off,” he says. “Now Sully is the Marlon Brando of seabirds.”

#4. The stunts in the film had so much thought put into them too, and it was a hard experience considering they were filming on a tiny isolated island, with lots of underwater work - which is renowned to be difficult.

“Working on land is hard enough when you’re doing action,” says stunt coordinator Glenn Ruehland, “but when you’re working on water and doing action at the same time, or working underwater and doing action, it adds a second or even third element of danger. I had a very experienced team, and we methodically went through our safe practices every morning, rehearsing with our stunt doubles, before we brought in the actors, to make sure we could get the shots that we needed.”

#5. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, he knew the difficulty that would come with taking on a film like ‘The Shallows’, saying: “It had so many elements that put together make a mega-challenge for a director. It has one location. It has water. Animals.  And a CG character.  Any of these elements separately is a challenge, so to have them all in one movie was really exciting.”

Watch an interview with Jaume and producer Matti Leshem below:

‘The Shallows’ is in New Zealand cinemas now - watch the trailer below (and click here to learn more about the film)…