Claim: Dylan O'Brien acts in films.

Deepwater Horizon is a 2016 American biopic disaster film . It was directed by Peter Berg , written by Matthew Sand and Matthew Michael Carnahan , and starring an ensemble cast including Mark Wahlberg , Kurt Russell , John Malkovich , Gina Rodriguez , Dylan O'Brien and Kate Hudson . It is based on the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico .   Principal photography began on April 27 , 2015 in New Orleans , Louisiana . The film premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and was theatrically released in the United States on September 30 , 2016 . It received generally positive reviews and grossed over $ 121 million worldwide . The film was nominated for two Oscars at the 89th Academy Awards : Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects , and a BAFTA Award for Best Sound at the 70th British Academy Film Awards .