Leviathan

About Leviathan

Leviathan is a science fiction horror film released in 1989, directed by George P. Cosmatos and written by David Peoples and Jeb Stuart. The film revolves around a crew at a deep-sea mining facility who discover a sunken Soviet vessel hiding a horrifying secret. A mutated creature is aboard, which can assimilate with other life forms.

Making / Production

Leviathan was produced by Aurelio De Laurentiis and Luigi De Laurentiis. The impressive underwater scenes were filmed in Rome, Italy, at Cinecitta Studios. Utilizing large swimming pools, the team was able to create the illusion of underwater mining facility and sunken vessel “Leviathan”.

Actors

• Peter Weller as Steven Beck - Weller led the cast as the calm and rational geologist. Despite his reluctance to tackle the horrors that await, Weller skilfully plays Beck as a practical and pragmatic leader.
• Richard Crenna as Dr. Glen Thompson - Crenna portrays Thompson, the doctor whose curiosity about the strange happenings aboard the vessel catalyzes the incidents.
• Amanda Pays as Elizabeth 'Willie' Williams - Pays shines as the tough and smart Willie, proving her mettle amid the intense and often frightening circumstances.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film released in a year that several other notable underwater-themed films also debuted, including James Cameron’s “The Abyss”.
• The film’s working title was “Beast of the Abyss”.
• Miguel Ferrer's character, Snyder, is seen holding a Weyland-Yutani branded cup from the Alien movies.

Awards

The film did not win any notable awards.

Quotes

• Steven Beck: "We're at seven miles. You know, nobody’s been this deep before. We're literally in virgin waters."
• Dr. Glen Thompson: "Just what the hell did they have you doing up there, Bowman?"
• Elizabeth 'Willie' Williams: "It's not human. It's not possible."

Music, Soundtrack

• The score for "Leviathan" was composed by Jerry Goldsmith. The score features a blend of electronic and orchestral music, setting a suspenseful and eerie tone for the movie.