Chris Hemsworth’s submarine thriller, Subversion, casts its female lead in the form of an Emmy-nominated star. Earlier this year, it was announced that Hemsworth would be starring in a submarine action thriller for Amazon MGM Studios, directed by Patrick Vollrath, whose debut feature was the plane hijack thriller 7500, with a script written by Andrew Ferguson, known only for the short film Love Thy Neighbor.

The film follows a once-promising Naval commander (played by Chris Hemsworth) who is coerced by a cartel-style operation into captaining a submarine smuggling illegal cargo through international waters. Forced into a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly game of cat and mouse, he must outmaneuver naval blockades and navigate several threats lurking both inside the vessel and beyond its hull.

Now, several months after it was first announced, Hemsworth’s submarine thriller has found its female lead. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Subversion has cast Lily James in a lead role. Though the English actress is currently in production on Guy Nattiv’s psychological drama Harmonia, Subversion will start production in September in Hemsworth’s home country, Australia.

What Lily James’ Casting Means For Subversion

Who Is She & Who Is She Playing?

Subversion, which has been described as Die Hard on a submarine, will star Chris Hemsworth as a Naval commander who is coerced by a cartel-style operation into captaining a submarine smuggling illegal cargo through international waters. This forces him into a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly game of cat and mouse with a determined Coast Guard officer (played by Lily James) H๏τ on his trail.

Following her breakthrough role in Disney’s Cinderella (2015), Lily James has appeared in a wide range of films, from Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver (2017), the Oscar-winning war drama Darkest Hour (2017), A24’s The Iron Claw (2023), and the musicals Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) and Yesterday (2019).

However, it was her high-profile portrayal of Pamela Anderson in Hulu’s miniseries Pam & Tommy (2022) that earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination. Since then, James has been branching out into more action-thrillers, including not only Subversion but also the upcoming Cliffhanger reboot.

Our Take On Lily James Casting In Subversion

Is She A Good Choice?

Lily James may seem like an unconventional choice for a hardened Coast Guard officer, yet her career demonstrates a steady gravitation toward roles requiring resilience. Her recent pivot toward action fare suggests she’s ready to step into more commanding roles. While she may not have the battle-worn gravitas typically ᴀssociated with military thrillers, her versatility and willingness to subvert expectations could bring surprising depth to Subversion.

Perhaps more intriguing is what James’ casting alone signals for Subversion. Submarine movies have long been male-dominated. Das Boot, The Hunt for Red October, and Crimson Tide hardly feature women at all, let alone in positions of power. In that sense, Subversion has made a bold move by casting a woman in such a commanding role, challenging the conventions of the genre itself.

Source: THR