NOT WITHOUT HOPE
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Not Without Hope | |
|---|---|
| Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Joe Carnahan |
| Screenplay by | E. Nicholas MarianiJoe Carnahan |
| Based on | Not Without Hope by Nick SchuylerJeré Longman |
| Produced by | Joe CarnahanMichael JeffersonAdam BeasleyCindy BruKia JamDean AltitRick FrenchDavid LipperRobert A. Daly Jr.Alla BelayaVadim FortuninJean-Pierre Magro |
| Starring | Zachary LeviQuentin PlairTerrence TerrellMarshall CookJessica BlackmoreJoBeth WilliamsFloriana LimaJosh Duhamel |
| Cinematography | Juan Miguel Azpiroz |
| Edited by | Kevin Hale |
| Music by | Clinton Shorter |
| Production companies | Volition MediaK. Jam MediaAltit Media GroupPrix ProductionsLatigo Films |
| Distributed by | Inaugural Entertainment |
| Release dates | October 25, 2025 (Austin Film Festival)December 12, 2025 (United States) |
| Running time | 121 minutes[2] |
| Countries | United States Malta[1] |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18 million |
| Box office | $231,571[3] |
Not Without Hope is a 2025 survival thriller film directed by Joe Carnahan and starring Zachary Levi as Nick Schuyler, the real-life sole survivor of a 2009 boating accident that took the lives of NFL football players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith. The screenplay was written by E. Nicholas Mariani and Joe Carnahan and is based on Schuyler and Jeré Longman’s 2010 nonfiction book of the same title.[4][5]
The film premiered at Austin Film Festival on October 25, 2025, and was released in theaters on December 12.[6]
Cast
- Zachary Levi as Nick Schuyler [4]
- Josh Duhamel as Timothy Close[5]
- JoBeth Williams[5] as Marcia
- Quentin Plair as Marquis Cooper[5]
- Terrence Terrell as Corey Smith[5]
- Marshall Cook as Will Bleakley[5]
- Floriana Lima[5] as Paula
- Jessica Blackmore as Rebekah Cooper
- Priya Jain as Lieutenant
- Logan Kellogg as Ship Captain
Production
In June 2020, it was reported that Miles Teller was initially cast as Schuyler, with Rupert Wainwright directing and E. Nicholas Mariani writing the screenplay.[7] Filming was scheduled to begin in the Dominican Republic in August 2020. However, it was reported that month that Wainwright was no longer directing due to creative differences.[8] Teller left the project due to production delays that were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] At one point, Dwayne Johnson had also been attached to star in the film.[9]
In February 2023, it was announced that Levi was cast as Schuyler, with Carnahan directing.[4] In June 2023, it was announced that Duhamel, Williams, Plair, Terrell, Cook, Blackmore and Lima were also cast in the film.[5]
Filming occurred in Malta in June 2023.[5][10] The film was shot entirely in Malta.[11]
Principal photography wrapped in Malta in June 2023, prior to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[12]
Release
Not Without Hope was released in the United States on December 12, 2025.[13]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of 11 critics’ reviews are positive.[14]
Richard Roeper of RogerEbert.com awarded the film three stars out of four.[15] Luna Guthrie of Collider gave the film a 7 out of 10.[16]
William Bibbiani of TheWrap gave the film a positive review and wrote that it “never completely comes together but when it works, it’s absorbing disaster filmmaking.”[17]
References
- “Not Without Hope”. 2025 Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference. Archived from the original on October 10, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- “Not Without Hope [14A]”. British Columbia Film Classification Office | Consumer Protection BC. December 3, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- “Not Without Hope”. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- Ritman, Alex (February 8, 2023). “Berlin: Zachary Levi to Star in Survival Thriller ‘Not Without Hope’ for ‘The Grey’ Director Joe Carnahan (Exclusive)”. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- Lang, Brent (June 15, 2023). “Josh Duhamel Joins Joe Carnahan’s Survival Thriller ‘Not Without Hope'(EXCLUSIVE)”. Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- Gajewski, Ryan (October 1, 2025). “Zachary Levi, Josh Duhamel Thriller ‘Not Without Hope’ Lands December Release (Exclusive)”. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
- Ritman, Alex (June 12, 2020). “Miles Teller to Produce, Star in Survival Movie ‘Not Without Hope’; Russell Wilson, Ciara Exec Producing (Exclusive)”. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- Lang, Brent (August 4, 2020). “Rupert Wainwright Out as Director of Miles Teller Survival Drama ‘Not Without Hope’ (EXCLUSIVE)”. Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- Galuppo, Mia (September 22, 2020). “Survival Memoir ‘Not Without Hope’ Set for Doc Treatment From Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson”. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
Johnson has long been a champion of the Not Without Hope, at one point attached to star in a narrative adaptation of the story.
- Rajput, Priyanca (June 19, 2023). “Joe Carnahan’s survival thriller Not Without Hope filming in Malta”. KFTV.com. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- “FNE Malta Focus 2023: American Film Not Without Hope Shot Entirely in Malta Using 78 Local Crew”. Film New Europe Association. June 12, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- Galuppo, Mia (September 9, 2023). “Toronto First Look: Zachary Levi Stars in Survivor Thriller ‘Not Without Hope'”. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- “Zachary Levi, Josh Duhamel Thriller ‘Not Without Hope’ Lands December Release”. Highland Film Group. October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- “Not Without Hope“. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- Roeper, Richard (December 12, 2025). “Not Without Hope”. RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
- Guthrie, Luna (December 11, 2025). “‘Not Without Hope’ Review: Zachary Levi’s Based-on-a-True-Story Survival Thriller Is Saved by Its Cast”. Collider. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
- Bibbiani, William (December 12, 2025). “‘Not Without Hope’ Review: Zachary Levi Flounders in a Somewhat Absorbing True-Story Disaster Film”. TheWrap. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
External links
| vteFilms directed by Joe Carnahan | |
|---|---|
| Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane (1998)Narc (2002)Smokin’ Aces (2006)The A-Team (2010)The Grey (2011)Stretch (2014)Boss Level (2021)Copshop (2021)Shadow Force (2025)Not Without Hope (2025)The Rip (2026) |
- 2025 films
- 2025 thriller films
- 2025 American films
- 2025 English-language films
- 2020s survival films
- American films based on actual events
- American survival films
- American thriller films
- English-language Maltese films
- English-language thriller films
- Film productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Films about sole survivors
- Films about survivors of seafaring accidents or incidents
- Films based on memoirs
- Films directed by Joe Carnahan
- Films produced by Joe Carnahan
- Films scored by Clinton Shorter
- Films set in 2009
- Films shot in Malta
- Films with screenplays by Joe Carnahan
- Maltese thriller films
- Seafaring films based on actual events
- Thriller films based on actual events
- 2020s Maltese films
