EXCLUSIVE: Mohit Ramchandani (City of Dreams) has co-written and directed Asphyxia, a new survival thriller for Capstone Studios.
ENIGMA (a psychological thriller, short film directed by Curry Barker)
Daniel Negret and Ramchandani penned the script for the film, which will be produced by Hunt Lowry (Last of the Mohicans, A Time to Kill) at Warner Bros. Capstone is providing full financing, casting is currently underway, and production is set to begin in Q1 2025. The project marks Ramchandani’s second film, following City of Dreams, a child labor thriller that Roadside Attractions releases nationwide on August 30.
Asphyxia follows Dr. Joanna Miller, a marine biologist specializing in the migration and birthing patterns of whales, whose ship capsizes in a storm during a routine expedition, killing her entire crew. She is left in an air pocket in the mess hall, trying to alert patrolling coast guards, when she comes across an unexpected survivor, the captain's daughter. As she makes her way to the young girl, each breath consumes what little oxygen she has left, blurring the lines between reality and delusion and forcing her to confront a past loss.
In a statement to Deadline about the project's origins, Ramchandani shared, "I suffered a terrible personal loss two years ago, and creating the character of an emotionally avoidant being, forced by circumstance to go to the recesses of her psyche where choosing vulnerability over intellect sets her free, provided me with the elixir of forgiveness that was crucial to my own healing. It's been the most creatively fulfilling journey of my life, and I'm truly honored to be working with Hunt and [Capstone CEO] Christian [Mercuri]."
