Hungry: killer hippo movie is now filming in Malta

The killer hippo movie Hungry is currently filming in Malta, with Shark Bait director James Nunn at the helm

Its mean streak doesn’t get much press, but the hippopotamus is actually an incredibly dangerous creature. They’re so aggressive, they’re officially the deadliest large land mammal on the planet and are said to kill around 500 people every year in Africa. Now their rampage is set to extend to the screen, as Variety reports that the “nature run amok” survival thriller Hungry, which “pits a hungry hippo against a group of tourists,” is currently filming in Malta. Of course, the fact that a killer hippo movie is going by the title Hungry is a nod to Hasbro’s popular tabletop game Hungry Hungry Hippos, but this movie doesn’t have anything to do with Hasbro.

Written and directed by James Nunn, Hungry tells the story of a group of holidaymakers who must fight for their lives against a rampaging hippo on the loose after becoming lost in the Louisiana swamplands. The names of the film’s cast members have not yet been revealed. It’s also not clear why there’s a hippo loose in the Louisiana swamps – although there was an idea presented in 1910 that hippos could be brought over to Louisiana and Florida to deal with the spread of water hyacinths and be used as a new food source in the United States. That didn’t end up happening.

Nunn previously directed the shark thriller Shark Bait, the thriller Tower Block, and the action sequels The Marine 5: Battleground and The Marine 6: Close Quarters, as well as the Scott Adkins projects Green Street 3: Never Back Down, Eliminators, One Shot, and One More Shot.

Signature Entertainment’s Ben Jacques is producing Hungry, with Signature’s CEO Marc Goldberg and head of production & development Sarah Gabriel serving as executive producers. MUFX designer Dan Martin and VFX company Magic Dust VFX are responsible for bringing the story’s rampaging hippo to life.

My reaction to hearing that a killer hippo movie is on the way is, “It’s about time!” I’m looking forward to seeing how Hungry is going to turn out.

Does Hungry sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this killer hippo project by leaving a comment below.

About the Author

Cody is a news editor and film critic, focused on the horror arm of JoBlo.com, and writes scripts for videos that are released through the JoBlo Originals and JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channels. In his spare time, he’s a globe-trotting digital nomad, runs a personal blog called Life Between Frames, and writes novels and screenplays.