EXCLUSIVE: Eco-thriller Arctic 30 is getting a shot in the arm with new partners and the update that Arctic and Stowaway director Joe Penna is aboard to direct.
Based on actual events, the movie will chart the story of thirty Greenpeace activists who were detained by Russian commandos for months after a 2013 protest against Arctic drilling. They became pawns in a diplomatic game of chess that captured international attention.
Nadine Jolie Courtney (Silver Seas) has been hired to write and casting will begin shortly ahead of a planned 2025 shoot.
Producers are Corniche Media’s (20,000 Days On Earth) Hani Farsi and Nils Åstrand, Laura Rister (The Tale) under her Esme Grace banner, and Laura Lewis (Mr. Malcolm’s List) of Rebelle Media.
Based on the book Don’t Trust, Don’t Fear, Don’t Beg: The Extraordinary Story of the Arctic 30 by Ben Stewart, the project has been in the works for a while. A decade ago Farsi was partnered on it with former Columbia chief David Puttnam, working off a script by Emma Thompson, but the project now has fresh impetus.
Among supporters are Greenpeace Executive Director Mads Christensen, who said today: “Stories can change the world. The story of the Arctic 30 is about hope and action. It is a story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. People who took action in favour of a better future and against overwhelming odds, who told big oil “Hands off the Arctic.”
“The actions of the Arctic 30 exemplify that people can and do make a difference. They are a reminder that it is only when we dare to turn our hope for a better world into action that change happens, and that hope can be made real. We hope that this film can amplify their vital message. Following years of collaboration with Corniche Media, Greenpeace is proud to support Joe, Nadine and the producers in bringing this story to audiences around the world.”
Director Penna commented: “There’s a purity to survival stories. Individuals against a hostile environment. Bodies in peril. Wills tested. The Arctic 30 faced more than nature’s wrath — they stood against human indifference, corporate greed, governmental might. This is a story of David versus Goliath, played out on a vast stage of ice and sky. Nothing highlights human resilience quite like ordinary individuals defying insurmountable forces. As our planet teeters on the brink, the Arctic 30’s courage echoes louder than ever. Their actions, a stark reminder of the impact a few can have on the many.
“Bringing their story to screen isn’t just an honor — it’s a necessity. Proof that even in the darkest, coldest places, the human spirit can ignite change. And perhaps, it might kindle that same courage within us all.”
On 18 September 2013, the Greenpeace activists attempted to scale the Prirazlomnaya drilling platform, as part of a protest against Arctic oil production. The following day Russian authorities seized the Greenpeace ship the Arctic Sunrise in international waters in the Russian Exclusive Economic Zone, arresting the crew at gunpoint, towing the ship to Murmansk, and detaining the crew of 28 activists and two freelance journalists for three months.
Brazilian filmmaker Penna’s first feature Arctic, starring Mads Mikkelsen, premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. In 2021, he co-wrote and directed the Netflix sci-fi thriller Stowaway, starring Anna Kendrick and Toni Collette. Most recently, Penna produced Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman Of The Hour, which debuted at TIFF.
The Tale producer Rister most recently produced Ferrari for Neon and Mr. Malcolm’s List for Bleecker Street and Universal Pictures. Former CAA Media Finance agent Lewis most recently produced Mr. Malcolm’s List and is an EP on Hulu’s series Tell Me Lies, which is currently in its second season.
Upcoming for 20,000 Days on Earth and The Reluctant Fundamentalist outfit Corniche are Ahd Kamel’s feature debut My Driver & I, and Annemarie Jacir’s All Before You.
Penna is represented by CAA and law firm JTWAMM. Jolie Courtney is repped by CAA, Management 360 and law firm Lichter, Grossman.
