What would you do if you were swallowed by a giant whale?
Source: 20th Century Studios
Before the Whalefall trailer made a splash on social media, you probably didn’t think getting swallowed by a massive whale was the scariest thing that could happen to you. But after watching it, it’s very possible a new fear will be unlocked.
Endlessly stressful with some genuinely disturbing moments, Whalefall follows Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) who fights for survival after getting swallowed by a giant sperm whale while searching for his sea-loving father’s remains off the central coast of California.
Source: 20th Century Studios
While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left and other, uh, potentially deadly obstacles to overcome, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape.
Check out the trailer below:
Directed by Brian Duffield, Whalefall (based on the 2023 bestseller by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Kraus by the same name) also stars Josh Brolin, Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy, and Emily Rudd in a that’s sure to be remembered as one of the biggest sleeper films of 2026.
“Anyone who says this couldn’t happen just hasn’t spoken to as many scientists as I have,” said Kraus in an interview with THR.
“Everything in the book is possible. I always do a lot of research, but this was different because there weren’t really any materials on it. I had to front-load the writing of the book with a few months of talking to scientists and divers, people who dissect whales for a living, just to even figure out what the plot could be. I had no interest in doing it abstractly or metaphorically.”
“I was only interested if I could do everything scientifically. So the plot came from talking to all these scientists and biologists and asking: How big is it? How hot is it? What does it smell like? What happens if you touch this? Can you go over here? Can you go over there? The plot is built from the realities of what’s possible.”
Will you be seated for Whalefall this weekend? Tell us down below and peep some social media chitter-chatter over Whalefall on the flip.
