Indie Hit '47 Meters Down' Returning for Shark-Infested Sequel (Exclusive)

'48 Meters Down,' with Johannes Roberts returning to write and direct and The Fyzz Facility again producing and financing, will move the deadly underwater action from Mexico to Brazil.

The most successful independent film in the U.S. this year is getting a sequel.

47 Meters Down, the Mandy Moore- and Claire Holt-starring shark thriller that took an unexpected $44 million bite out of the domestic box office this summer (and more than $53 million globally), is to be followed up with 48 Meters Down.

Johannes Roberts is set to return to write and direct the film, based on a script he co-wrote with his collaborator on 47 Meters Down, Ernest Riera. Rising U.K. banner Fyzz Facility is again producing and financing the project, which this time will move the deadly shark action from Mexico to Brazil and follow a group of girls looking for adventure in the coastal metropolis of Recife. Hoping to get off the well-worn tourist trail, they hear about some hidden underwater ruins only to find that the turquoise waves of their secret Atlantis aren’t completely uninhabited.

Altitude Film Sales, who looked after sales for 47 Meters Down, are repping sales for 48 Meters Down and will introduce the film to buyers in Toronto.

“We are so pleased by the huge success of 47 Meters Down; it totally exceeded all expectations," said James Harris of The Fyzz Facility. “48 Meters Down will take the claustrophobia of cave diving and the thrill of shark encounters and move everything to the next level.”

Added Altitude’s Mike Runagall: “47 Meters Down has captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and we’re thrilled to be reteaming with the filmmakers and our friends at The Fyzz for the sequel, which will ratchet up the thrills and spills to a whole new level.”

48 Meters Down adds to a bustling slate for Fyzz, which recently announced rom-com Destination Wedding, reuniting Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves. Other films include the action thrillers Three Seconds, starring Rosamund Pike, Joel Kinnaman and Clive Owen, and Final Score, starring Dave Bautista and Pierce Brosnan, plus Matthew Holness’ darkly twisted debut feature Possum, starring Sean Harris.

This story first appeared in The Hollywood Reporter's Sept. 8 daily issue at the Toronto Film Festival.