OceanGate Titan submersible tragedy to be made into a film

A fictional depiction of the tragedy on board OceanGate's Titanic-bound submersible Titan is being adapted into a movie.

Multiple outlets reported that MindRiot Entertainment and producer E. Brian Dobbins, whose credits include 2023's White Men Can't Jump and The Blackening, are teaming up to coproduce the movie, currently titled Salvaged, with MindRiot cofounders Justin MacGregor and Jonathan Keasey writing the script.

Despite limited details, the film is expected to cover before, during, and after retellings of the tragedy.

The Titan submersible caught the world’s attention in June 2023 after it went missing during a deep sea underwater excursion near the wreckage of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean. The submersible lost contact with its mother ship 1 hour and 45 minutes into the dive, and the five-man crew was feared dead as the oxygen supply was dwindling in the high-pressure conditions. Four days after the sub went missing, a remotely operated underwater vehicle discovered debris near the Titanic wreck, and the Titan submersible was believed to have imploded.

Commenting on the upcoming project, lawman-turned-filmmaker Keasey stated to Deadline: “The Titan Tragedy is yet another example of a misinformed and quick-to-pounce system, in this case, our nonstop, 24-7 media cycle that convicts and ruins the lives of so many people without any due process."

“Our film will not only honour all those involved in the submersible tragedy, and their families, but the feature will serve as a vessel that also addresses a more macro concern about the nature of media today.”

“Truth is all that matters. And the world has a right to know the truth, always, not the salacious bait crammed down our throats by those seeking their five minutes of fame. Life is not black and white. It’s complicated. There’s nuance. Always nuance.”

A month after the disaster, Titanic director James Cameron shut down rumours that he would make a movie about the missing OceanGate sub. “I don’t respond to offensive rumours in the media usually, but I need to now,” Cameron wrote in a post on X/Twitter. “I’m NOT in talks about an OceanGate film, nor will I ever.”