Jason Momoa is used to saving the ocean. He does that in his day job as Aquaman, a character intrinsically linked to the seas, in a series of movies based on the beloved DC property. But now he’s ready to do it for the real-life ocean as the narrator and executive producer of the the new documentary “Deep Rising.” “It’s pretty astonishing,” Momoa told TheWrap after stopping at our Portrait and Video Studio at The Music Lodge in Sundance about the footage captured in the movie, alongside the film’s director Matthieu Rytz and subject (and scientist) Dr. Sandor Mulsow.
The official synopsis describes the film as a “tale of geopolitical, scientific, and corporate intrigue that exposes the machinations of a secretive organization empowered to greenlight massive extraction of metals from the deep seafloor that are deemed essential to the electric battery revolution.” Director Matthieu Rytz follows mining startup The Metals Company as it tries to generate interest (and, most importantly, permission) to start deep sea mining.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Momoa said. “Obviously being in ‘Aquaman’ and learning all different types of things and studying the technology I’ve never seen footage like this ever.” He jokes that he was sending photos from the documentary to his “Aquaman” director (who also helmed the upcoming sequel): “You messed this up [James] Wan.”
Momoa said he joined the project when Rytz asked if he wanted to narrate. “Obviously there are many bonuses to it. I have a lot of passion for the ocean, being Hawaiian and Aquaman. I put it out there in the universe and two weeks later this film showed up. When I saw the film and was narrating it was a pretty emotional experience. This is the most impactful film I’ve ever done in my life. It should change our perspective. It was a beautiful thing to be a part of.”
For the full conversation about “Deep Rising,” click on the video above.
TheWrap’s Portrait and Video Studio at The Music Lodge during the 2023 Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by NFP along with support from Sylvania and HigherDOSE.
