The glitz and glamour of superyachts makes them ideal stars for everything from box-office blockbusters to the latest Netflix drama...
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Yacht: Aquarius
The 45 metre Mengi Yay motor yacht Aquarius makes an appearance in the opening of the trailer for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the follow-up to the Acadamy Award-winning murder mystery Knives Out starring Daniel Craig. Delivered in 2016, the yacht can sleep up to 10 guests and eight crew across her three decks. Aquarius has a top speed of 15 knots that will no doubt be put to the test in Rian Johnson's sequel, which is set to be released on Netflix in December.
Triangle of Sadness
Yacht: Christina O
Dark comedy Triangle of Sadness follows a fashion model celebrity couple who are invited on board a superyacht cruise for the ultra-rich, but the vessel ends up sinking, leaving its guests and crew stranded on an island. The 99.15 metre classic superyacht Christina O is the star of the film, which suitably premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Christina O was famously owned by Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Socrates Onassis who transformed her from an anti-submarine frigate to a luxury superyacht that has welcomed the likes of Winston Churchill, JF Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra on board. Actor Woody Harrelson joins its star-studded guest list as he plays the role of the captain in the film.
Inventing Anna
Yacht: Leight Star
The 42.67 metre motor yacht Leight Star was featured in the Netflix docudrama Inventing Anna, based on the true story of fraudster socialite Anna Delvey. The yacht was renamed Caprilla for the episode and sees protagonist Anna Sorokin stepping out of a Chris Craft tender and onto the swim platform to join her friends in Ibiza (before outstaying her welcome). Leight Star was built in 1984 by the American shipyard Sun State. Her top deck, which is used mostly for sun lounging, can double as a helipad for guests looking to arrive in style.
No Time to Die
Yacht: Spirit 46
A Spirit 46 sailing yacht takes a starring role in the James Bond film No Time to Die. The 14 metre sailing yacht features in the film, which catches up with Bond following his departure from active service. This is not the first time Spirit Yachts has collaborated with the Bond franchise. In 2006, the 16.4-metre sailing yacht Spirit featured heavily in Daniel Craig's first Bond film Casino Royale when it became the first sailing yacht to travel up Venice's Grand Canal in 300 years.
Tenet
Yacht: Planet Nine
The 73 metre explorer yacht Planet Nine takes centre stage in Christopher Nolan’s time travelling blockbuster Tenet. Spanning seven countries, Tenet follows protagonist David Washington as he fights to ensure the survival of the whole world. Delivered in 2018, the ice-classed explorer Planet Nine features a large helicopter hangar and pair of superyacht elevators connecting all five decks. Elsewhere, the yacht boasts a panoramic observatory lounge, a boot room for heli-skiing activities and a cinema on the upper deck.
6 Underground
Yacht: Kismet
The 95.2 metre Lürssen superyacht Whisper (ex Kismet) plays a pivotal role in Michael Bay’s newly released Netflix debut 6 Underground. Starring Ryan Reynolds, 6 Underground sees a team of international operatives tasked with taking down a notorious dictator. The Espen Øino-designed superyacht is the setting for the climactic final scenes of the film which sees Whisper, the final stronghold of the dictator, dramatically blown up.
Succession
Yacht: Solandge
Lürssen’s 85.1 metre superyacht Solandge took a starring role in the second series of Sky Atlantic’s Succession. The climactic final episode, in which Brian Cox’s Logan Roy makes a life-changing decision, is based entirely on the yacht and showcases its first-class facilities. Scenes of the episode journeyed from Solandge’s massive indoor and outdoor gym on the main deck to the outdoor cinema and nightclub. Elsewhere, Solandge features a full dive centre, extensive spa with a sauna, steam room, massage room and beauty salon, as well as a generous swimming pool on the sun deck.
Murder Mystery
Yacht: Sarastar
The 60 metre Mondomarine superyacht Sarastar is the setting for Netflix film Murder Mystery. The action follows a stagnant married couple played by Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston who join a billionaire on board his family yacht. They are soon caught up in an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery on board and it doesn’t take long for the couple to become prime suspects.
Riviera
Yacht: Turquoise
The 55.4 metre superyacht Turquoise stars in the Sky Atlantic drama Riviera. Set in the French Riviera, the series follows American art curator Georgina Clios, whose life is upended after her billionaire husband Constantine dies in a yacht accident. Turquoise was built by Turkish yard Turquoise Yachts in 2011 with an all-British design team behind her build: her exterior is the work of Ed Dubois with London studio H2 Yacht Design styling her lavish interiors, which can accommodate up to 12 guests and 13 crew.
Mamma Mia!
Yacht: Haida 1929
Classic motor yacht Haida 1929 plays a starring role in Meryl Streep’s exuberant rendition of Money, Money, Money in the hit musical film Mamma Mia!. Built in 1929, she is one of the oldest yachts still sailing today and offers guests a taste of yachting in the 1930s. She has had 12 owners in her lifetime and saw service in the Second World War and had long been admired by owner No 12 who extensively refitted this piece of maritime history over 16 months. In Mamma Mia!, Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski and Julie Walters are seen riding jet skis and drinking champagne in a dream world on board the superyacht.
The Wolf on Wall Street
Yacht: M
M3 (previously Lady M) played a crucial role in 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street. When Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) hits the big time, he splashes out on the luxury yacht and names it Naomi after his second wife (as played by Margot Robbie). However, the film takes a disastrous turn when the superyacht sinks during a stormy passage between Porto Cervo and Capri — a scene that closely mirrors Belfort’s real-life yachting disaster in 1997. Directed by Martin Scorcese, The Wolf of Wall Street was one of the most successful movies of 2013, grossing more than $116 million at the box office.
Skyfall
Yacht: Aria I
Daniel Craig's recent turns as 007 brought a new generation of beautiful sailing yachts onto the big screen, the most notable of which being Aria I. This 56 metre steel schooner from Pruva Yachting starred in the 2012 film Skyfall as Chimera, the yacht which carried James Bond to villain Raoul Silva's island hideaway. Preparing the yacht for filming was an arduous process, including re-upholstering inside and out.
American Assasian
Yacht: Itama 62
Michael Keaton and Dylan O’Brien were the big names in the 2017 counter-terrorism thriller American Assassin, based on Vince Flynn’s 2010 novel of the same name, but the real star was surely the Itama 62. This 19 metre speedboat stole the show in a spectacular chase scene, which involved O’Brien jumping onto the moving yacht. Built in Italy as part of the Ferretti Group’s extensive range, the Itama 62 has a top speed of 40 knots thanks to twin MAN V12 engines and can accommodate up to six guests in three cabins.
Entourage
Yacht: Usher
When US comedy series Entourage was given the Hollywood treatment in 2015 it was only fitting that the party-loving boys should be seen living the high life on a glamorous yacht. Delta Marine’s 2007 launch Usher (formerly Mr Terrible) took on a starring role by hosting a yacht party in the film’s opening scene, before lead character Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) embarks on a disastrous career directing movies.
Mission OceanX
Yacht: Alucia2 and a Triton 3300/3 submersible
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, National Geographic and OceanX recently announced a six-episode documentary series called Mission OceanX. Produced and narrated by James Cameron, the series will explore the farthest reaches of the Indian Ocean and take audiences aboard the maiden voyage of Alucia2, the "most advanced and powerful exploration, scientific research and media production vessel the world has ever seen". The explorer yacht builds on the capabilities of OceanX's iconic research vessel Alucia (now Hydra), which made history in 2012 by capturing the first video footage of the elusive giant squid. Mission OceanX will also feature a Triton 3300/3 submersible from Triton Submarines, which promises to "help uncover new wonders [and] capture never-before-seen imagery of life below the surface".
Last year, James Cameron sat down with Stewart Campbell, BOAT International's Editor in Chief, to discuss the Titanic, Cameron's love of the deep ocean and the OceanGate submersible disasters.
Read More/What happened to the submersible industry after the Titan disaster?Bonus entry: Argylle
Tender: SportJet 520
This spy thriller is directed by Michael Vaughn, the mind behind the much-beloved action-comedy Kingsman. The plot follows Bryce Dallas Howard as author Elly Conway, as she learns that the plots of her best-selling espionage novels are starting to mirror the actions of a real-life spy organisation. The Williams SportJet 520 tender features in several high-octane chase scenes alongside other big names Henry Cavill (as the titular spy Argylle), Bryan Cranston and Dua Lipa.