Titan Submersible Disaster Inspires Documentary From Last Person to See Crew Alive

The Titan submersible disaster, an exploration of the Titanic wreckage that went horribly wrong and dominated headlines in the summer of 2023, has inspired a new documentary from Aron Arngrimsson, who was the last person to see the crew alive. Arngrimsson closed the submersible hatch before waving one final time to the crew. He will produce and direct the film, which will be made by Dirty Dozen Productions and RadicalMedia.

After the Titan lost contact an hour and 33 minutes into the dive, a desperate rescue operation was launched. After five days of searching, it was confirmed that the Titan had imploded, killing all five people on board. Arngrimsson’s film will use first-hand footage from the moment Titan embarked on its final journey, while looking at “the emotional experience of five Titan crew members,” as well as “revealing the family stories behind the media headlines.” The filmmakers say the movie will examine the risks behind these type of expeditions, as well as the reason so many people are drawn to deep sea ventures.

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“We are committed to telling this important story with the thoroughness it deserves, through exclusive interviews with the Titan crew members and in the aftermath with the families,” said Arngrimsson. “Our goal is to reflect on the lives affected by this tragedy while providing crucial insights into walking the razor-thin line between success and failure.”  

“The unprecedented access Aron had to the Titan crew, their families, and this story, was remarkable. He was there, first-hand, experiencing all of this in real time. It was extremely important to us to tell this story authentically, given the tremendous media attention it received. We believe it’s critical for the world to understand the real story of Titan and the importance of modern-day ocean exploration” says Stacey Reiss, executive producer at RadicalMedia.  

The documentary is currently in post-production and will premiere in 2025. In addition to Reiss and Arngrimsson, other producers include Antti Apunen and Geoff Creighton. Arngrimsson founded Dirty Dozen Productions, which says it focuses on making “documentaries that delve into the deep ocean.” Radical Media is the Oscar-winning producer of “Summer of Soul” and “The Fog of War.”