It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren in their fifth collaboration,[4] specifically the second time they appear as on-screen allies.

[7] Scott Wheeler (Jean-Claude Van Damme), a deep cover operative awakens along with another prisoner, Marco (Dolph Lundgren), to find himself imprisoned in a CIA Blacksite on board a retrofitted nuclear submarine.

The crew is split between those who operate the submarine, led by Captain Darrow (John Posey); the security crew, led by Kingsley (Aleksander Vayshelboym) and CIA agents Cassie Taylor (Jasmine Waltz) and Ellis Ryan (Aaron O'Connell).

They plan on going to the control room to contact someone topside, knowing the submarine would have to rise to the surface or float the buoy.

Taylor learns that Rhodes recruited Wheeler into the CIA and he wants to sell the drive, which contains information that would jeopardize agents.

Rhodes directs his helper to go to 'Plan B' whilst convincing the submarine crew to stay at their current depth by telling them Wheeler is a traitor.

Ballard wants to take Wheeler with them to recover the activation key, as she, Rhodes and his helper are set to make millions.

They are told the CIA cannot open a case file because the submarine is a black site and cannot admit their guilt as that would show their incompetence.

Black Water was officially announced on January, 4th 2017 with Jean-Claude van Damme and Dolph Lundgren co-starring.

According to screenwriter Chad Law, Black Water "came together" when producer Richard Switzer "called me up and said he wanted to do an action movie set on a submarine.

[9][10] Furthermore, Law "specifically" wrote 2012's Six Bullets for Van Damme, after being hired by producer Brad Krevoy.