‘Gossip Girl’ Star Joins Husband Adam Brody for ‘The River Wild’

Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester joins her husband, The OC star Adam Brody, along with Taran Killam for the upcoming reimagining of The River Wild.

The original 1994 movie was directed by Curtis Hanson. It told the story of a family forced to combat a pair of violent criminals on a whitewater rafting trip. Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon and John C. Reilly all starred.

The new project is being helmed by Ben Ketai. The story follows siblings (played by Meester and Killam), who love but distrust each other as they set off on a rafting trip with a small group including a childhood friend (Brody). And Brody may just be more dangerous than he seems. 

Ogden Gavanski is producing the flick that has been written by Ketai and Mike Nguyen Le.

The River Wild release date is still a little ways out. The film is set to debut on non-theatrical platforms across the world in 2023 from Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. 

“We are excited to announce a thrilling new ‘The River Wild’ story, with fresh characters and a story that brings the universe to new audiences and fans of the original,” Glenn Ross, the General Manager and Executive Vice President at Universal 1440 Entertainment. “The production features a talented cast, and we think movie lovers will be excited by director Ben Ketai’s modern take on the popular classic film.”

We’ll keep you posted as more details surface on the film. But just in case you haven’t seen the original 1994, here’s a look at the film’s trailer.

Excited for the reimagining of this story? Excited to see Leighton Meester and Adam Brody on screen together? Sound off with your thoughts in our comment section below!

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins