New survival thriller 'Whalefall' features teenager swallowed by sperm whale

What Happened

Director Brian Duffield debuted his new survival thriller titled "Whalefall" at its London premiere on Monday. The film centres on a teenager named Jay, played by Austin Abrams, who dives off California's Monastery Beach to search for his late father's remains. During the dive, a sperm whale swallows him, leaving him to find a way to survive and escape. The movie is based on a novel by author and co-writer Daniel Kraus, and it will start its global theatrical rollout on October 14.

Production And Themes

Hollywood star Josh Brolin plays Jay's father in the movie. Brolin stated that he hopes the film avoids a "Jaws"-style fear of whales and instead encourages audiences to appreciate the mammals. Aside from the survival plot, the film deals with grief and a complex father-son relationship. To film the project, the crew built large-scale whale interiors and exteriors, using computer-generated imagery only to enhance the sets. Duffield noted that filming inside these giant whale sets pushed the cast and crew to their limits, calling even sitting inside the set an extremely dangerous stunt for lead actor Abrams.

Context

Daniel Kraus developed the idea after seeing a viral video of kayakers who ended up inside a whale's mouth. After consulting whale experts, he learned that sperm whales are built to eat giant squid, meaning a human smaller than a squid can theoretically fit down their throat under the right conditions. Whale experts have welcomed the project, hoping it will inspire audiences to learn more about these ocean mammals rather than fear them.