Franka Potente rides Ripoll's 'Wave'

Lost-at-sea tragedy based on a true story

By ED MEZA, JOHN HOPEWELL

BERLIN — Franka Potente (“Run Lola Run,” “The Bourne Supremacy”) will topline lost-at-sea tragedy, “Wave,” helmed by Maria Ripoll (“Tortilla Soup”).

Budgeted at $11.5 million and based on true events, “Wave” recounts the story of an English family of three adrift at sea without water or food for two weeks. Only the mother (Potente) survives. But she’s then alleged to have killed her husband.

“What this woman went through is an unbelievable ordeal. Her life turns upside down and she has to defend herself to others as well as try and keep her sanity,” said Potente.

Rolling Feb. 9, “Wave” looks set to be among the first films to use the new water tank at Spain’s Ciudad de la Luz studios in Alicante.

Written by Marie-Laure Bertehlin and Greg Latter, based on the mother’s account, “Let Me Survive,” “Wave” is produced by Jean Luc Van Damme (“Goodbye Bafana”) at Banana Films in Belgium.

Germany’s Qix and ARD Degeto, Spain’s De Palacio and the U.K.’s Future films co-produce. ARD Degeto has also taken German free-to-air rights.

Sold by Madrid’s 6 Sales, “Wave” has been licensed to Poland’s Kinoswiat and Shooting Stars for the Middle East.

6 Sales is also handling international rights on Francois A. Velle’s “The Narrows,” which world preemed in Toronto.

“Narrows” stars Kevin Zegers as a young man from Brooklyn who runs errands for the local mob to pay his college tuition fees. Film also toplines Vincent D’Onofrio, Sophia Bush and Eddie Cahill.

Produced by Leslie Urdang, Ami Armstrong and Tatiana Blackington, “Narrows” was sold prior to the 6 Sales deal to France’s Koba Film and Movie Bank for Benelux.