Project Eradicate

Synopsis

Present-day. Hoboken, New Jersey. DOCTOR PAUL CHAPEL (56), a brilliant genetics researcher who has recently been terminated from Ortec—forces access into his old workspace at gunpoint. He downloads files onto a flash drive and takes something in a covered casing. His former coworker, DOCTOR ROBIN LAMBERT (28), dedicated and ambitious, is surprised to see him as he rushes away—dropping the flash drive in front of her. She picks it up as he escapes out of the building, speeding down the highway with the police on his tail. He loses control of the vehicle, crashing and freeing what’s inside the glass casing as it disappears before OFFICER DALE RICHARDS (26), fit and honest, can identify it.

Three years later. Sewer workers go missing in New Jersey while a jewelry heist is being planned in midtown Manhattan. XAVIER NICHOLS (32) is the mastermind with piercing eyes, scouting out Von Haus Jewelers by posing as a potential customer. Xavier reports back to his main cohort, LOUIS (34), ex-military and weapons expert. Meanwhile, Dale is still on the Hoboken police force and is approached by Robin, who seeks him out because he was at the Doctor Chapel’s crash site—wanting to know more details about what he witnessed. She follows him home, where she tells him more about the questionable research Ortec is conducting and he admits he saw “some type of rodent” enter the sewer system that night. She asks for his help in setting up some motion cameras in the sewers and offers to pay him $50,000 to help her, to which he agrees.

Xavier learns of a pink diamond worth $26 million coming through Von Haus en route to an auction house, and they plan a specific time for the heist based on this information. Xavier meets with three others that join him and Louis for the heist: FERNANDO (35), CHARLIE (25), and HOPE (26). They plan an escape on foot nine miles through the city’s sewer tunnels and under the Hudson River back to Hoboken. Robin has aroused the suspicion of her boss, executive director of Ortec, WILLIAM BOYKINS (45), who extends a veiled threat to her about a confidentiality agreement—making it clear he is aware of the stolen information from her mentor, Doctor Chapel. She is being followed and realizes she can’t go home, instead heading to Dale’s house and asking if she can stay with him until they finish placing the cameras—to which he reluctantly agrees.

The jewel thieves plan their heist while Dale and Robin plan their camera placement—both figuring to exit through Tunnel 58. Dale escorts Robin home to gather a few items, where the man who is following her—MILES (37) reveals himself. There is a scuffle between Dale and Miles as he demands the missing files from Robin. Miles is knocked unconscious and they flee Robin’s house. This incident forces Robin to come clean to Dale about the research, and he realizes they’re in danger—yet unaware that Miles put a tracker on her car. Dale and Robin head to the crash site, armed and with a map as they enter the sewer. Meanwhile, the jewel heist goes off as planned and Xavier gains possession of the pink diamond along with a substantial amount of cash, as they escape to the sewer system. The gang is relieved as they reach New Jersey, shooting off celebratory gunfire, awakening something that snarls and rushes down the tunnel while alerting Dale and Robin to their presence.

Dale and Robin finish mounting the last of the cameras but are tailed by Miles once again—as they all hear a horrific roar throughout the tunnels. Running from the noise, both parties crash into each other and question each other intensely—with Xavier’s gang aiming their guns at Dale and Robin. Out of caution, Xavier takes Dale and Robin hostage with an eventual plan to kill them. Miles follows them, engaging in a standoff at an opportune time—shooting Charlie before getting attacked by the creature in full view of everyone. They continue on, but another of Xavier’s gang, Fernando, is left for dead when he slows them down. Robin tells them more about what they’re dealing with, a genetic experiment that has been created to be a killing machine. They come to a point in the sewer where they must swim quite a distance and all can do so, but it takes too much out of Charlie and he barely makes it to the water’s edge before being attacked and dragged under by the creature. They make their way to Tunnel 58, but before they can exit completely, Louis is grabbed by the creature while still in possession of the jewels—and dragged off. Another standoff occurs when Xavier commands them to go after the jewels, and Dale pulls his revolver in disagreement. With an automatic weapon, Xavier wins the challenge and they reenter the tunnel in search of the stolen jewels.

They head back to where Louis’ body lies and recover the bag of jewels and cash. The creature reemerges and separates them. Dale and Robin make a break for it but are tracked by Xavier, who loses to Dale in a life-and-death struggle. Dale and Robin escape the sewer through a manhole, attempting to rescue Hope, but she falls victim to the creature. The survivors head for Ortec Labs as the creature breaks free from the sewers and enters the streets of Hoboken. They enter the elevators of Ortec just as the creature enters the lobby of the building. They devise a plan to trap the creature in a biohazards room and set fire to it—which they are successful with until it’s foiled by Robin’s boss, William. Dale fires a shot at the control panel, igniting a fire in the sealed room with the creature, but William shoots back at Dale and wounds him. The door cannot hold the creature, and it breaks free again—killing William and forcing the others to retreat to the roof. Dale once again lures the creature, this time convincing it to jump off the roof as he swings underneath it from a cable. He takes a clean shot at a soft spot on its underside, hitting it and sending it twenty-six floors to its death. Police arrive at the scene, and Robin pours glycerin over the body of the creature—burning it after taking photographic evidence of its existence.

Dale and Robin return the diamond and jewels, but keep the cash that was unclaimed by Von Haus Jewelers—$213,000 for them to start a new life together. Meanwhile, the U.S. Government discredits the photo and those behind the secret project take a small sample from the original creature with a plan to recreate it.