Between “Weapons” and “Resident Evil,” we really feel like actor Austin Abrams is being put through his paces in his string of recent film performances, and even more so with Brian Duffield‘s (“No One Will Save You”) latest film “Whalefall,” where Abrams plays characters who are basically put through hell and back. Something that is quickly becoming the actor’s main calling card.
In this new film at 20th Century Studios, he’s potentially being dragged to death in the sea by a whale while trying to submerge via scuba gear to find the remains of his late father, played by Josh Brolin, off the coast of California. Others among the cast of the visually striking thriller are Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy, and Emily Rudd.
“Whalefall” has a screenplay co-written by Brian Duffield and Kraus based on his best-selling book. The main producers are Brian Grazer, Duffield, Jeb Brody, and Allan Mandelbaum, with Doug Merrifield, Richard Abate, and Will Rowbotham serving as executive producers.
An official synopsis for the new deep-sea thriller, as provided by 20th Century:
Following the death of his father (Brolin), Jay Gardiner Abrams) goes diving off the Central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape.
“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,” the director said in an official statement.
The Zach Cregger connection doesn’t end with Abrams, as Duffield is teaming up with the fellow genre filmmaker on a new flick called “Siren Head” at Warner Bros., based on the internet cryptid. There have also been online rumblings that the writer/director is being tasked by 20th Century with helping with a new film set in the “Alien” universe, although that hasn’t been made official.
Duffield is also no stranger to claustrophobic underwater films, having penned the Kristen Stewart-led sci-fi survival film “Underwater,” another pic at the same studio. With the movie debuting in theaters on October 16, you can check out that new trailer for “Whalefall” below.
