Shailene Woodley will race through Death Valley in psychological thriller Ultra

For decades, Stephen King fans wondered how an adaptation of his Richard Bachman book The Long Walk could work, since the story focuses entirely on a group of young men who walk until they drop dead one by one, with the last kid walking being the winner of the competition. But, a film adaptation of that story made its way out into the world this year, and it went over quite well. (You can read our 8/10 review HERE.) The critical success of that film was probably nice for writer/director Victoria Negri (Gold Star) to see, as she’s currently moving forward with a psychological thriller called Ultra, which focuses on a woman competing in a marathon in the desert of Death Valley. Deadline reports that Shailene Woodley (Divergent) has signed on to star in the film.

Here’s the synopsis: Following the tragic death of her twin sister, Eve (Woodley) enters into the most intense athletic endeavor on the planet: the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon, a 135-mile race through Death Valley, where temperatures reach 54°C. As Eve takes on the unforgiving elements and intense physical and psychological strain of the race, she finds herself pursued by an unknown runner in white, consistently closing the gap between them as they surge through the desert. Trying to outrun the ominous presence, Eve will face the darkest parts of herself and uncover what she is made of.

Allison Rose Carter and Jon Read are producing Ultra for Savage Rose Films, alongside Iris Torres. Executive producers are Andrew Kortschak and Lisa Ciuffetti for End Cue, and Toby Halbrooks for Sailor Bear.

Negri provided the following statement: “Tragic circumstances, for better or worse, are transformative, and Ultra is a film born from that experience. My father was a distance runner, left paralyzed by a stroke. Running, the thing that gave him life, was taken from him. He suffered and finally succumbed. While finding my emotional footing, I grew to become an ultrarunner, since completing two 100-mile races, numerous 50 milers, and many marathons. It’s through testing my limits in each of these epic races that I process loss — physical pain being the greatest metaphor for the emotional.” Different things work for different people. I’ve dealt with some tragedy in my life, but I would never even think of becoming an ultrarunner. Negri added that her film will be a “visceral descent into inner turmoil, as our protagonist Eve is unable to confront the loss that chases her down in the unforgiving desert of Death Valley, during the world’s toughest footrace: the monumentally challenging Badwater 135 Ultramarathon.“

Ultra sounds interesting to me and I’m a Shailene Woodley fan, so I look forward to seeing how this one is going to turn out. Does Ultra sound like something you’d want to watch? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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