Why Did Disney Drop The Ben Affleck Thriller 'Deep Water' From Release?

Walt Disney Co. DIS has abruptly pulled the erotic thriller “Deep Water” starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas from its theatrical release calendar roughly one month before it was set to premiere.

What Happened: The film was scheduled to go into theaters on Jan. 14. It was shot in late 2019 and early 2020 and was originally planned to debut on Nov. 13, 2020, but its release was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. A new release date was announced for Aug. 13, but the studio opted to move it to mid-January.

Disney did not announce when or if “Deep Water” would be rescheduled for theatrical release later in 2020 or if it would bypass theaters for a streaming release.

Why It Matters: “Deep Water” stirred anticipation because it marked Adrian Lyne’s return to directing — the Oscar-nominated filmmaker responsible for “Flashback,” “Fatal Attraction” and “Jacob’s Ladder” had not been behind the camera since 2002’s “Unfaithful.” The film also attracted attention from gossip reporters when Affleck and de Armas had a romantic relationship during the production’s location shooting in New Orleans.

“Deep Water,” which was made by Disney’s 20th Century Studios unit, is the studio’s first foray into the erotic thriller genre since it distributed “Color of the Night” in 1994. Based on a 1957 Patricia Highsmith novel, “Deep Water” focuses on a couple whose loveless marriage devolved into a warped relation where the husband allows his wife to have as many lovers as she desires, provided that she does not abandon their family. 

The film had yet to be rated by the MPAA and no trailer has been released. Due to the film’s adult content, it's unlikely Disney would drop “Deep Water” into a streaming release on its family-friendly Disney+ service, with placement on Hulu being more likely.

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What Else Happened: While erasing “Deep Water” from its lineup, Disney also added the animated feature “Strange World” to its calendar. This film is set for a release during the 2022 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, when the studio traditionally puts out an animated title.

Details on the “Strange World” storyline have not been made public, though Disney offered a single image via its Instagram page that promised “journeys deep into an uncharted and treacherous land where fantastical creatures await.” Don Hall, whose earlier films include “Big Hero 6” and “Raya and the Last Dragon” directed “Strange World.”

Photo: Ben Affleck courtesy of Gage Skidmore / Flickr Creative Commons