Picture: Universal 1440
The River Wild (labeled as just River Wild in some locations), a new direct-to-video reboot of the classic 1994 movie starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon, arrives on Netflix US alongside its digital and DVD debut on August 1st, 2023.
Please note: the addition to Netflix currently only applies to Netflix in the United States.
Directed by Ben Ketai, this new thriller (rated PG-13) will be dropping on Netflix at the start of August 2023, marking the movie’s SVOD debut.
Here’s what you can expect from River Wild stars Leighton Meester, Adam Brody, Taran Killam, Olivia Swann, Eve Connolly, and Nick Wittman:
“Follows a pair of siblings who love but distrust each other as they embark on a white-water rafting trip with a small group. One of their friends from childhood turns out to be more dangerous than he appears.”
Speaking with EW just a few days ago, the team behind the movie revealed they filmed in locations throughout Eastern Europe, including Hungary, Slovakia, and Bosnia.
As mentioned, it’s a reboot of the beloved 1994 movie that was directed by Curtis Hanson and written by Denis O’Neill. At the time of publishing, the original movie is streaming on Starz, but it often moves around. The movie is a new story that resides in the “universe” of the original and is often referred to as a “reimagining.”
The movie is coming to Netflix as part of an output deal the streamer has with Universal Pictures and its direct-to-video division, Universal 1440 Entertainment. This division is usually known for creating movies with lesser budgets than the main Universal arm and for exploiting IP in Universal’s possession.
That same deal has seen many movies hit Netflix over the past few years, including Blade of the 47 Ronin, R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned, and The Munsters.
Once available on Netflix, River Wild will stay on the service for three years, meaning it’ll be available until August 1st, 2026.
Will you be checking out River Wild on Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.
