If the lead was someone popular like Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson or Ford

Or maybe if they had reunited Famke Janssen with Pierce Brosnan, he was probably at the peak of powers in 1998 (as a star).

Love it ..... Always Have. Although I think that Kevin J. O'Connor gives a weak performance ... I couldn't stand him in Sommers' "The Mummy" either ..... So replace him with someone *wish* ..... also awful in "Lord of Illusions" yuck!!!!

This is one of my favorite movies and its underrated. I just think it came out at the wrong time. Many movie going audiences had already seen Titanic which came out not to long before this. Although a different genre, its still a film about a ship in peril.

However, the film would have done much better had the leading role been a more high profile actor. Treat Williams did do a great job though.

They actually did try to get Harrison Ford

no retreat baby, no surrender

Treat williams is the man. Replacing him would kill this movie

I agree the film would have DONE better financially obviously with a bigger star

that said, Treat Williams is pretty great in this. he delivers the tone and humor near perfectly for an action star in this. He's believable yet also balanced in his charisma and heroism

in fact I would argue he sort of reminds me of a casual Harrison Ford in some regards in how he delivers lines in this (although obviously physically they look nothing alike)

Honestly Deep Rising is a pretty solid horror/sci fi flick. its a fantastic popcorn movie. But an obscure sounding plot about a tentacle monster on a cruise ship released around the time of Titanic with an R rating was probably never going to do that well

she fell through a hole, and was never seen again

It would have done better also if it was released after The Mummy (1999). Having the marketing push from being made by the director of The Mummy would have helped it get seen by more people.