[New Film] 'Whalefall: The Man Swallowed by a Whale' — Inside a 60-Ton Sperm Whale, a 60-Minute Fight for Survival

An extreme survival game unfolds inside a massive deep-sea creature

A diver who ventures into the deep sea to recover his late father's remains faces an unexpected disaster. Set to open on the 14th, 'Whalefall: The Man Swallowed by a Whale' is a survival thriller about a protagonist who is swallowed alive by a massive sperm whale measuring 24 meters long and weighing nearly 60 tons.

Jay is trapped inside the stomach of a deep-sea creature, where no light can reach. He has only 60 minutes of oxygen left. Each time the whale swims, powerful currents slam through its insides, while deadly stomach acid rises around him. Facing a life-or-death crisis, Jay makes a desperate bid to escape. His only means of survival is the advanced diving technique and survival knowledge his father, Mitt, taught him before his death.

Adapted from the novel of the same name by American best-selling author Daniel Kraus, the film is directed by Brian Duffield, who helmed 'Underwater' (2020), a film noted for its vivid depiction of deep-sea terror. Kraus, the author of the original novel, also took part in writing the screenplay, adding further depth to the story.

The production team focused on visual realism to convey the suffocating pressure to audiences. Weta Workshop, the world-renowned studio responsible for the special effects in the 'Avatar' series, helped create life-size sets of the whale's 9-meter-long head, esophagus, larynx and stomach. The team also introduced a special mechanism that rotated the entire set 360 degrees, vividly recreating the interior as it buckled and shifted with the whale's movements.

The infrastructure built to maximize the reality of the deep sea is equally impressive. The filmmakers specially constructed a large underwater tank capable of holding approximately 660,000 liters of water for filming. Austin Abrams, who stars in the film, showed his commitment to the role by obtaining a scuba-diving certification in advance. He spent 35 days performing demanding underwater scenes in the sealed set modeled on the inside of a whale, without a stunt double, lending the film greater authenticity. Hollywood veteran Josh Brolin joins the cast as Jay's father, adding weight to the drama.

Combining the claustrophobia of an unknown space with a strict time limit, 'Whalefall: The Man Swallowed by a Whale' is set to give audiences an intense experience that makes them feel as if they are trapped deep underwater alongside the protagonist.