Actor Zachary Levi takes on a demanding role in the upcoming film Not Without Hope, portraying Nick Schuyler, the sole survivor of a tragic boating accident off the Florida coast. Released on December 12, the survival drama recounts the harrowing true story of Schuyler and his three friends during a fishing trip gone wrong, highlighting themes of endurance and hope. Levi’s performance aims to authentically honor Schuyler’s experience and the memory of the companions who lost their lives.
Bringing a Real-Life Ordeal to the Screen
Not Without Hope is adapted from the nonfiction book co-written by Nick Schuyler and Jeré Longman. It details a fishing trip in 2009 where Schuyler, Will Bleakley, Marquis Cooper, and Corey Smith faced a life-threatening event when their boat capsized returning to shore. Despite the odds, Schuyler survived, while his three friends tragically drowned. Producer Rick French has been dedicated to sharing this story for nearly two decades, emphasizing the emotional and physical challenges embodied in the film.
French reflected on his involvement, saying,
“I was involved with Nick [Schuyler] and his story since a couple days after the accident took place in 2009, and put the book deal together and have been working to tell this story for almost 17 years now.”
He added insight on casting Zachary Levi, explaining the importance of finding someone capable of handling the intense emotional and physical demands of the role:
“We really needed somebody like Zach to want to take on the role because it was a demanding role both physically and emotionally. The places that Zach had to go, the depth to watch three of your friends perish and hold out that hope very few actors, I think, could pull off the role the way that he did and what he put on screen was absolutely remarkable. We can’t wait for people to see it.”
Zachary Levi: Embracing the Weight of a True Story
For Levi, portraying Schuyler meant tackling a role that combined physical endurance with profound emotional complexity. He described the responsibility of representing Schuyler’s perseverance, especially as it serves to commemorate his lost friends. Levi stated,
“I think being able to be a part of true stories is always very powerful, and particularly ones that show incredible perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds. And, Nick’s story is a powerful one, and quite literally, as is based in the name, it is not without hope. He was always just holding onto that last shred of hope in the odds that were against all of those odds. So to be able to tell a story like that is, I think that that’s important in this industry. We can tell stories and make people laugh and cry and jump and scare them and all that, but to tell a true story, to put that on screen, and also to immortalize those that were lost, you know, Nick’s friends who weren’t able to be with us to tell their side of that ordeal. I think all of those things attracted me to the project.”
The film had its world premiere just weeks before its theatrical release, an emotional occasion for those involved after years of dedication. French described his feelings leading into the release, sharing,
“We had our premiere, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, I think cast included. It’s a difficult and challenging story to tell, but in the end, it’s an uplifting story in that there was someone who refused to give up hope and faith and everything else that led to his rescue. And so I hope that audiences respond well to it and I hope that, as Zach said, we did the memory of the three guys justice as well. As did justice to the heroism of the United States Coast Guard. They put their lives on the line to undertake an absolutely harrowing search and rescue effort to find a needle in the haystack, and they did so without regard for their own lives, and so we want to honor all those men who are part of the story.”
Preparing Physically and Mentally for the Role
Levi relayed how he prepared for the role, highlighting that having direct access to Nick Schuyler provided valuable insight. He recounted,
“Fortunately for me, I was the only actor that had a living person to be able to draw any kind of extra information from and so I was able to connect with Nick and had a few phone calls with him just to try to pick his brain and his heart and get an idea of where he was at and during a lot of that. He admittedly was having a hard time, even recalling a lot of it because it was a long time ago, but also it was very traumatizing. Trauma works in very strange ways. It can block out a lot of details to try to harken back to that moment, as part of our survival, right? And so, I was able to glean from him what I could and then brought that to what was already on the page, and then, like with any role, whether it’s fictional or non-fictional, my job as an actor is just to show up and try to be as authentic as I can, and that’s, and that’s what I did.”
The physical portion of the filming proved extremely challenging, involving scene work in cold water tanks that replicated ocean conditions. Levi described the intense production atmosphere, saying,
“It was definitely the most physically demanding job as an actor I’ve ever been a part of, being in that water tank in Malta, shooting mostly nights in very, very cold water, and the wind machines and the wave machines and the water cannons. It was tumultuous. But you just try to take all of that and channel it into the performance. Obviously, everything we were dealing with was a fraction of what they were really dealing with in real life. You just are grateful that you have warming tents and warming coats, and safety divers. We were never in actual peril, but it was gnarly. It was a really, really intense experience.”
French further emphasized the filming conditions and the commitment of the cast and crew. He praised the leadership of director Joe Carnahan, who remained in the water alongside actors for long hours, explaining,
“We shot it in late May, early June, and those waters are cold. To Joe Carnahan’s credit as well, he was in the water with those guys with the cameras. All of the cast, they put themselves through so much to undertake these roles. You just had to be there to see. There would be take after take to try to get it right, and as Zach said in the middle of the night, with water temperatures — those tanks there are open water tanks that converge with the ocean there. You’re getting ocean temperature water there. I do think that probably lent to the performances though, because each of the guys could really feel how cold it was and they brought that forward. There weren’t green screens, we weren’t recreating those on some set. So it’s quite a film. I think that that’s why, when everyone saw it a week ago Saturday, I don’t want to speak for our actors, but I think they were all recalling everything that they put into the roles and how emotional it was, and I think that all kind of came tumbling out for all of us.”
The Enduring Power of Hope in the Face of Adversity
The heart of Not Without Hope centers on unyielding hope despite overwhelming hardship, a sentiment that resonates deeply with Levi. He shared a candid moment about his personal struggles and the importance of hope in daily life, stating,
“I’ve always been a deeply spiritual person, but I struggle — I think we all do — having hope. Even in this moment right now, to be perfectly raw and real, I’m having a moment where I’m struggling in my life, and I’m just feeling the weight of a lot of things, and hope is just one of those things you have to cling to. So I am drawing upon it even now, even in this moment, right now, I am trying to go back to that and, if nothing else, have hope for tomorrow, and then the next day, and then the next day after that.”
Producer Rick French reflected on his long journey to bring the story to film, describing his determination to maintain hope despite numerous challenges. He said,
“After 17 years, I could have given up hope that we were ever going to be able to make this film, but I made a commitment to Nick and the and the families that we would one day tell this story in a way that honored the memory of those guys,”
and added,
“And so there was a no quit in the same way that none of those guys quit and Nick didn’t quit. I really just followed their lead in bringing this forward, and it was my best way to honor them was to do what I said I was gonna do.”
French expressed hope that viewers recognize the profound significance of the film, emphasizing the respectful approach taken to tell this poignant story. He said,
“I hope that when this premieres in a month or so now, that people understand this was never just a movie to me or to any of our cast. Nobody treated it that way. They treated the story with kind of honor and reverence, understanding that what we were putting on screen was depicting three men in the prime of their life who passed away and left families behind. I just hope that, at the end of the day, the 17-year journey to get it made was worth it. I think it was and that our audiences have respect for the movie.”
Leading Cast of Not Without Hope
The film features Zachary Levi as the central character Nick Schuyler, supported by notable actors including Josh Duhamel, JoBeth Williams, and Quentin Plair. This ensemble brings to life the tragic yet inspiring tale of friendship, survival, and courage that defines the narrative.
