The 20th Century Studios production is generating massive tracking buzz after bypassing expensive CGI in favor of a biologically accurate mammalian stomach that is actively dissolving its lead actor.
Box office tracking for 20th Century Studios’ new survival thriller is surging following reports that director Brian Duffield bypassed expensive CGI by simply securing the union clearances necessary to subject his lead actor to 4,000 pounds of crushing hydrostatic pressure. The grueling 40-day shoot, which required Austin Abrams to be sealed inside a fully functioning synthetic whale stomach, has left onlookers baffled and studio executives thrilled by the complete lack of volumetric stage costs.
Rather than utilizing traditional green screens, Duffield’s team constructed a 60-foot biomechanical digestive tract capable of secreting industrial-grade pepsin directly onto the 28-year-old star. Sources close to the production confirm Abrams has been losing roughly three pounds of dermal tissue per week, an authentic physical degradation that saved the studio an estimated $12 million in post-production touch-ups and makeup rendering.
We pushed hard for a premium hazard bump on Austin’s quote, but once Brian showed us the storyboards of the esophagus actively liquefying his client, we knew it was an undeniable four-quadrant play.
The intense rollout continues as Abrams, currently communicating solely through a waterproof two-way radio while treading in a slurry of krill and gastric acid, prepares for the international press tour. Insiders note the studio's marketing arm is already exploring brand partnerships, actively shopping first-look rights for the actor's skeletal remains ahead of the theatrical window.