▁it ▁comes ▁to ▁writing ," ▁brought ▁Pen ney ▁ab o ard ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁for ▁a ▁page ▁ 1 ▁rewrite . ▁ ▁Now ▁called ▁' C old water ', ▁the ▁new ▁script ▁nearly ▁became ▁a ▁movie ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁st arring ▁Ron ▁Perl man ▁and ▁Lucas ▁Black . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁film ▁fell ▁apart , ▁Gr ash aw ▁said ▁" it ▁was ▁dev ast ating ." ▁ ▁Pen ney ▁and ▁Gr ash aw ▁would ▁continue ▁to ▁rewrite ▁and ▁pol ish ▁their ▁screen play ▁for ▁almost ▁a ▁de cade ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁made . ▁ ▁The ▁director ▁often ▁said ▁that ▁" the ▁making ▁of ▁this ▁film ▁has ▁more ▁blood ▁on ▁it ▁than ▁Pass ion ▁of ▁the ▁Christ ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁inter im , ▁Gr ash aw ▁produced ▁the ▁independent ▁film ▁Bell flow er ▁on ▁a ▁sho est ring ▁budget . ▁ ▁The ▁movie ▁was ▁a ▁sens ation ▁when ▁it ▁premier ed ▁at ▁Sund ance ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁Re leased ▁in ▁the aters ▁that ▁summer , ▁it ▁was ▁acc laimed ▁by ▁such ▁critics ▁as ▁Roger ▁E bert ▁of ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Sun - Times . ▁ ▁So on ▁after , ▁Gr ash aw ▁secured ▁independent ▁finan cing ▁for ▁Cold water ▁with ▁a ▁cast ▁of ▁unknown ▁actors . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁first ▁announced ▁in ▁Vari ety ▁on ▁June ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁Cast ing ▁ ▁With ▁no ▁prior ▁acting ▁cred its , ▁ 2 4 ▁year - old