EXCLUSIVE: Rocket Science has boarded sales on Dark Ocean, the debut feature from Icelandic TV maker Glassriver.

Worldwide sales will launch at the Cannes Film Festival on the Baldvin Z-directed pic, which is billed as a claustrophobic drama set aboard a fishing trawler in the North Atlantic.

The plot follows a young deckhand on his first voyage, as he and his team of fishermen battle the brute forces of nature and the ruthless demands of survival at sea.

Cast includes director-producer Baltasar Kormákur (Beast, Everest), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Severance, True Detective), Þorsteinn Bachmann (True Detective, Katla), and Thorvaldur Kristjansson (The Minister, The Darkness).  

Dark Ocean comes from Matthías Tryggvi Haraldsson, an Icelandic screenwriter and founding member of theatre and music collective Hatari. Baldvin Z, who was behind Glassriver’s series Black Sands and Netfix show Case, is the director. He also produces alongside Guðgeir “Gucci” Arngrímsson, who has credits for the likes of Albatross and Eden. Christine Haebler’s Canadian outfit, Terminal City Pictures, recently joined the film as co-producer.

For Glassriver, the pic is a change of pace. It is known as one of Iceland’s most prolific TV producers, accounting for more than 50% of scripted series made in the country in 2023. The current slate includes Hot Stuff, a co-production with Romania’s Idea Film and recently-optioned title Konrad from Arnaldur Indriðason, which is being adapted as a series. Production has also wrapped on on Elma, the crime thriller series based on Eva BjörgÆgisdóttir’s best-selling book series.

“We’re excited to see momentum building for our debut feature film, with Rocket Science coming onboard to kickstart a worldwide sales campaign and launch the project at Cannes Film Festival,” said Andri Ómarsson, CEO of Glassriver. “Their proven success with high-octane dramas of the strongest calibre makes them the ideal partner to start generating anticipation for this story with audiences beyond Iceland.”

“Dark Ocean is an incredibly claustrophobic and tense script to which we immediately gravitated,” added Thorston Schumacher, CEO of UK-based Rocket Science. “Baldvin Z is a compelling talent and has assembled an excellent cast. We’re excited to bring the distinctive and timely story to the market.”

Rocket Science is headed to Cannes with a slate also including Jaume Collet Serra’s Cliffhanger, starring Lily James and Pierce Brosnan; and Riddick: Furya starring Vin Diesel.