If you’re prone to claustrophobia or suffer from cetaphobia, an intense and irrational fear of whales and large sea creatures, you should look away. The latest trailer for Brian Duffield’s Whalefall could send you spiraling, as some of its scenes are more terrifying than any horror movie I’ve seen in decades. The new survival thriller from 20th Century Studios, based on the acclaimed novel, opens exclusively in theaters on October 16.
Following the death of his father (Josh Brolin), Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving off the Central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped in its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay realizes that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape.
Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin help lead Duffield’s adaptation of Kraus’ harrowing tale of survival, with Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy, and Emily Rudd rounding out the cast.
While talking about his new film, Brian Duffield said, “To bring Daniel Kraus’ book to life, our cast and crew spent a summer inside a whale inside a sound stage in Studio City, California. I can’t wait for audiences to see the performances and hard work everyone put in to tell this thrilling and emotional story in a dark, cozy theater this October.”
In addition to the new trailer, 20th Century Studios dropped a gorgeous yet foreboding poster for Whalefall ahead of its October release. The striking print shows Abrams’ Jay Gardiner swimming toward the surface of a vast ocean as a massive sperm whale swims toward him from below.
The thought of surviving being swallowed by a sperm whale long enough to contemplate escape chills me to the bone. As soon as I heard about the concept for this story, I was fascinated by how Duffield would portray it on screen. Now that I’ve seen the trailer, Whalefall is one of my most anticipated movies of the year. Between Whalefall and Resident Evil, Austin Abrams is going to have one hell of an October at the cinema.