Was Apple always planning to have Scott Derrickson’s “The Gorge” go straight to streaming? I’m not entirely sure about that. This might have to do with the streamer’s recent decision to minimize theatrical outings for most of their films. It doesn’t help that Derrickson’s film has been plagued by delays, and toxic word of mouth.
Today we learned that “The Gorge,” which stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller, is going straight to Apple TV+ on February 14. A trailer was also revealed for the sci-fi film. This announcement is being made a little over eight weeks before the film is set to premiere on streaming. Never a good sign.
In “The Gorge,” Taylor-Joy and Teller play “two soldiers who are tasked with guarding a seemingly never-ending gorge with one agent posted on either side.” Sigourney Weaver and William Houston co-star.
“The Gorge” was test screened 14 months ago, in October 2023. Here’s the reaction I posted — which was one of the many negative ones from that evening. The film’s getting dumped on streaming for a reason …
Incredibly generic even for the potential of its premise that attempts to mash genres. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy lack any chemistry to make their sudden romance palpable, and it’s annoying how she has to do another Russian accent, yet again; it’s so bad, and what a waste of Sigourney Weaver. There is a bigger scope than any of Derrickson’s previous efforts, outside of Doctor Strange. Kudos for having practical sets and a Reznor/Ross score was promised for the finished product, according to the credits. Feels very much like what this writer has done before (“The Tomorrow War”) and proves again why Derrickson is better at working with smaller budgets and creative leeway.
Zach Dean’s screenplay for “The Gorge” was originally featured on the 2020 edition of the Black List, and this helped get it wider attention. The film was greenlit two years after that, and filming on “The Gorge” began in March 2023 in London, with production occurring at Warner Bros. Studios.
Derrickson is coming off “The Black Phone,” a very successful low-budget horror film that definitely upped his stock in the industry. His credits also include “Doctor Strange,” “Sinister,” “Deliver Us From Evil” and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.”
Up next for Derrickson is “The Black Phone 2,” set to be released next year, and he also has his “Night of the Hunter” remake currently in development.
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