Shailene Woodley is poised to take on a captivating new role as she leads the cast of the upcoming psychological thriller, Ultra. Crafted by Victoria Negri (Gold Star, Personal Best), who also helms the film, Woodley will embody Eve, an ultramarathon runner who embarks on the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon—a 135-mile endurance test through California's Death Valley.
Still reeling from the tragic loss of her twin sister, Eve faces a relentless battle against not only physical exhaustion but also a haunting psychological torment. As she realizes she's being stalked by a mysterious runner dressed in white, her pursuit becomes increasingly intense.
Negri, who brings her own experience as a long-distance runner to the story, divulged the deeply personal inspiration behind Ultra. "My father was a distance runner who was left paralyzed by a stroke. Running, the thing that had given him life, was taken away from him. He suffered, and ultimately succumbed," she shared in a statement. "As I searched for my emotional footing, I became an ultrarunner myself... It's through testing my limits in these races that I process loss—physical pain being the greatest metaphor for the emotional." She added, "Although my grief is always present, I've learned that I am strong enough to handle it... I wrote Ultra from this intense personal journey, using running as the cinematic vehicle to depict the ways in which we process grief."
Ultra is produced by Allison Rose Carter and Jon Read for Savage Rose Films (Everything Everywhere All at Once) alongside Iris Torres. Woodley recently shone in the action-thriller Motor City alongside Alan Ritchson, Ben Foster, and Pablo Schreiber.
