Saban Films acquires Alphas, the sharks vs. killer whales thriller that has been in the works since 2018

The sharks vs. killer whales movie Alphas is finally moving toward the big screen. Deadline reports that Saban Films has acquired U.S. rights to the survival thriller, which stars Virgin River‘s Martin Henderson, Titans‘ Teagan Croft, and Wrong Turn‘s Charlotte Vega. The film is now being lined up for a theatrical release in early 2027.

That’s a major update for a project we’ve been following at JoBlo for years. Alphas was first announced back in 2018 as a “sharks vs. a whale” thriller, with Final Destination 5 director Steven Quale attached to direct. At the time, Voltage Pictures was financing the movie, and the plan was to turn the aquatic creature showdown into a “highly commercial, yet sophisticated” blockbuster.

The project appeared to get another major boost in 2020 when Sam Worthington signed on to star, with filming scheduled to begin in Puerto Rico. Worthington was set to play an environmentalist who would convince the owner of a killer whale sanctuary to unleash an orca against a growing population of great white sharks.

That version of Alphas ultimately didn’t make it into production, but the movie has now resurfaced with a new cast and a new director.

What is Alphas about?

The current version of Alphas is directed by Liam O’Donnell from a screenplay by Frank Hannah and a story by Hannah and Christopher Tuffin. The story still revolves around the basic premise that originally caught our attention: what happens when the only thing that can stop a population of great white sharks is a killer whale?

Here’s the official synopsis:

“After a string of great white attacks threatens a quiet surfing beach town, killer whales are enlisted to drive the sharks out. But when the alpha great white proves too powerful to stop, a former local surfing legend (Henderson) and a retired orca trainer (Vega) make one last, terrifying move: unleash the most dangerous killer whale ever known.”

So, yes, Alphas is still giving us sharks vs. whales.

The new version is produced by Christopher Tuffin for Strong Island, Renee Tab for Sentient Entertainment, Joel Chikapa Phiri and Tshepiso Chikapa Phiri for Known Associates, and XYZ Films. Timo Argillander and Andrea Scarso executive produce on behalf of IPR.VC.

Saban Films co-presidents Shanan Becker and Jonathan Saba are clearly embracing the creature feature appeal of the premise:

“Monster movies have always given us something bigger than life to be scared of. Godzilla started it. Jaws made it real, because the scariest monster isn’t the one we dream up, it’s the shark already swimming beneath us. Alphas finally gives that shark something to be scared of, too.”

Producer Christopher Tuffin added:

“We built Alphas to take the shark movie audiences know and flip the food chain. When the only thing that can save the beach may be more dangerous than sharks, every choice becomes terrifying.”

And after following this one since 2018, I’m very curious to see whether Alphas can deliver on the promise of its awesome elevator pitch: sharks vs. killer whales. Are you looking forward to this one? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Here’s a promotional still, which doesn’t feature a single shark or whale. A very odd choice:

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