The cinematic universe has it in for poor Austin Abrams. The actor — known for TV roles on The Walking Dead, Euphoria, and Dash & Lilly and films like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Weapons — has two survival horror thrillers coming this fall. First, he’ll be trying to escape zombies in Zach Cregger‘s Resident Evil (a shoot that almost killed Abrams, per Cregger). Then, Abrams will be trying to escape from the inside of a sperm whale in Whalefall.
The latter film has launched dozens of internet memes in recent months. Expect even more now that a new trailer dropped on Thursday. Watch the trailer below, featuring Abrams as the trapped diver who must rely on his own wits and years of training by his tough father (Josh Brolin) to avoid being digested by the behemoth.
Read on for everything to know about Whalefall.
The plot
Based on the bestselling novel by Daniel Kraus, Whalefall riffs on the Bible story of Jonah and the whale and the classic Pinocchio sequence featuring the puppet boy and Geppetto swallowed by Monstro, with a dash of 127 Hours and Jaws thrown in for good measure.
Here’s the official plot synopsis from 20th Century Studios: “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 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.”
In addition to the official trailer released on Sept. 10, a teaser was dropped on June 9 (watch below).
The cast and creatives
In addition to Abrams, Brolin, and the sperm whale, the film also stars Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy, and Emily Rudd. Whalefall is directed by Brian Duffield from the screenplay he wrote with Daniel Kraus.
Duffield, Brian Grazer, Jeb Brody, and Allan Mandelbaum are the producers, with Doug Merrifield, Richard Abate, and Will Rowbotham serving as executive producers.
Release date
Whalefall opens Oct. 16.
Awards chances
While the movie has captured the fancy of the internet and a certain section of Film Twitter, Whalefall seems to be more of popcorn play for Halloween season than a true awards player. But if the film breaks out and becomes a huge hit, we could see it competing for some below-the-line awards, notably visual effects and sound.
