Netflix is assembling a film based on the survival story of Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton. Phil Barantini, of Adolescence fame, is directing the film from a script by Mark L Smith, who wrote the Academy Award-winning The Revenant. Late director Wolfgang Petersen tried to make a film based on Shackleton either planning to cast Mel Gibson or Russell Crowe in the role.

The story is about Shackleton and the agonising rescue of the crew of The Endurance ship, which Shackleton captained. The upcoming survival film will be produced by Cliff Roberts, Smith, Michael Pruss, Ridley Scott, Barantini, Joey McFarland, Brian Oliver, and Samantha Beddoe. Ireland-born adventurer Shackleton, known for his death-defying attempts to sail deeper towards the South Pole, led a Trans-Antarctic Expedition aboard The Endurance in 1914. The crew was left stranded when the ship was crushed by ice.

Barantini's credits include The Boys in the Boat and The Marsh King's Daughter, with his upcoming work being Ridley Scott-directed post-apocalyptic thriller The Dog Stars, featuring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley. This film will mark Barantini's third collaboration with Netflix after Adolescence and the upcoming series Rabbit, Rabbit, starring Adam Driver and Regina Hall.