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Cameron's Underwater 3-D Drama 'Sanctum' Coming 2010

by Brandon Lee Tenney
September 10, 2009

To be directed by Alister Grierson from a script by Andrew Wight and John Garvin, and overseen by the wide, deep gaze of James Cameron, Sanctum has been co-purchased by Relativity and Universal, according to Variety today. Andrew Wight, a long-time associate of Cameron's who helped develop the 3-D technology seen in the documentaries like Aliens of the Deep and Ghosts of the Abyss, used his own death-defying experience as a catalyst for Sanctum. While leading a diving expedition miles into a system of underwater caves, a freak storm collapsed the entrance forcing Wight and his team to race to find another way out.

From what I can gather, this sounds like The Descent - but underwater. And in 3-D. Which isn't to say that's a bad thing. Especially having been co-written by the guy who actually experienced what must have been the most terrifying experience of his life (and, seriously, one of the most awful things I can ever imagine), I'm expecting a real amount of natural dread and terror. I'm also extremely excited to see an entirely underwater drama - again, especially knowing Cameron is the puppet master behind Sanctum and his love for the ocean and its mysteries is widely documented. But, there's the issue of it being in 3-D, which I've got to address.

With this, presumably, being shot mostly underwater, the experience is already novel. The colors already ethereal and different and interesting. So, why 3-D? I suppose it could provide some depth inside the underwater caverns, but - seriously, why 3-D? Set to film later this year for $30 million, look for Sanctum in late 2010. Tired of Cameron forever associated with 3-D yet? Or excited for an underwater drama like this?

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