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In the Heart of the Sea is a movie about a harrowing maritime true story. It was a $94M box office disappointment upon release. Despite this, In the Heart of the Sea has unexpectedly become a global Netflix hit a decade later.

Directed by Ron Howard, the movie is based on a book of the same name by Nathaniel Philbrick, published in 2000. Although this source text has 71 mentions of cannibalism, the movie downplays how bad it was, along with other big details missing from the In the Heart of the Sea true story. However, the movie portrays the courage of the survivors well. Three such survivors stayed on Henderson Island.

William Wright, Seth Weeks & Thomas Chappel Survived After Remaining On Henderson Island The Three Men Who Chose To Stay All Survived The Ordeal

Wright, Weeks and Chappel were the only members of the Essex crew who opted to stay on Henderson Island,...

The American Revolution, a new six-part, 12-hour documentary series that explores the country’s founding and its eight-year War for Independence, will premiere on Sunday, November 16, and air for six consecutive nights through Friday, November 21st at 8:00-10:00 p.m. Et on PBS. The full series will be available to stream beginning Sunday, November 16 on the PBS site and App.

The much-anticipated series, which has been in production for eight years, was directed and produced by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt and written by long-time collaborator Geoffrey C. Ward. The filmmakers and PBS scheduled the broadcast for 2025, the 250th anniversary of the start of the war, which began in the spring of 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence.

The American Revolution examines how America’s creation turned the world upside-down. Thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic Coast rose in rebellion, won their independence,...

Warning: this article discusses death and cannibalism.

In the Heart of the Sea tells the unbelievable true story of the sinking of the Essex whaling ship in 1821. The movie follows the crew of the ship as they attempt to survive at sea in small whaleboats and the horrifying choices they have to make in those months. In the Heart of the Sea's cast is led by the A-list stars Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, and Benjamin Walker, who each give great performances as real historical figures. When it was first released in 2015, the film received modest reviews, but In the Heart of the Sea has found success since streaming on Netflix.

In the Heart of the Sea's ending helps provide context for what happened to the men who survived after they returned home, but as is often necessary for movies to achieve a certain runtime or rating,...

In the Heart of the Sea chronicles the true events of the 1820 sinking of the whaling ship Essex, with some details left out, including one that might have saved more of the crew in real life. The 2015 historical adventure drama movie directed by Ron Howard is based on Nathaniel Philbrick's 2000 non-fiction book In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. The novel recounts the story of the Essex sinking and all the men who survived it. However, the film passes over one crucial piece of information from the true story.

In August 1819, the Essex set sail from Nantucket on a two-and-a-half-year journey to hunt whales. A little over a year into their voyage, a whale attacked the ship, killing many of the crew and forcing the survivors to retreat to smaller boats. Unfortunately, they were thousands of miles from the nearest land, stranded in the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Chris Hemsworth and Tom Holland's $94 million box office disappointment has become a global Netflix hit 10 years later. The two stars are best known for their roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thor and Peter Parker/Spider-Man, appearing in a total of two movies together – Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The Australian actor has appeared as the Asgardian superhero in nine total MCU movies, while the British actor has appeared in six.

However, Hemsworth and Holland have appeared in many movies outside the MCU. The former is known for his role in Netflix's action franchise, Extraction, starring in the 2020 film, a 2023 sequel, with another sequel on the way. Holland has also starred in the Netflix film, The Devil All the Time, and some other direct-to-streaming titles, such as Apple TV's Cherry, directed by the Russo brothers. Hemsworth and Holland have also starred together outside the MCU, though the...

In the Heart of the Sea tells the true story that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick, so the perfect follow-up to watch is John Huston’s film adaptation of the literary classic. Based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s historical account of the same name, In the Heart of the Sea tells the true story of the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in 1820. The cast of In the Heart of the Sea features huge stars like Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Holland, with Ben Whishaw playing Melville.

Since it arrived on Netflix, In the Heart of the Sea has become a streaming hit. Viewers who have finally caught up with Ron Howard’s harrowing nautical adventure, a decade after it underperformed at the box office, might be wondering what to watch next. Given that the movie chronicles the inspiration for Moby Dick and ends with Melville putting pen to paper,...

The 2015 movie, In The Heart Of The Sea, is inspired by a thrilling true story of survival and bravery. Directed by Ron Howard, the movie explores how the crew of a whaling ship face a grueling battle for survival at sea after their ship is sunk by a whale. The movie is based on the 2000 book, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick and explores how the events of the ship's sinking and the crew's fight to stay alive inspired the creation of the 1851 novel, Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville.

The cast of In The Heart Of The Sea includes Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Holland, and the movie explores how the crew were forced to put their differences aside and use all of their skills and experiences to survive their ship's sinking. In The Heart Of The Sea received mixed reviews upon its initial theatrical release.

Chris Hemsworth and Tom Holland's forgotten adventure movie is a streaming hit, climbing Netflix’s charts ten years after its $94 million theatrical run. That was a disappointing box office number for the film that first teamed them up, but Hemsworth and Holland would later know massive success as main players in the money-making juggernaut that is the MCU.

Hemsworth was first to make his way to the Marvel family, playing the mythical hero Thor as a solo act in 2011, and then as a member of the Avengers. Holland followed in 2016, playing Peter Parker for the first time in the blockbuster Captain America: Civil War, and later joining Hemsworth again in the massive era-wrapping Infinity War and Endgame two-parter. With $31.1 billion (and counting) in worldwide grosses, the MCU has been a runaway success, catapulting Hemsworth and Holland to international stardom.

Hemsworth And Holland’s In The Heart Of The Sea...

Years before Cillian Murphy won an Oscar for Oppenheimer and Tom Holland's Marvel movies broke box office records, the two renowned actors starred together in In the Heart of the Sea, which is now streaming on Netflix. The 2015 historical adventure film featured many other notable stars. However, Murphy and Holland are undoubtedly two of the most in-demand actors in 2025, with Murphy coming off his Academy Award win for Best Actor and Holland's everlasting success with Spider-Man and beyond.

Now, Murphy is set to return for 28 Years Later, the third film in the 28 Days Later series, as an executive producer. Murphy will also reprise his iconic Peaky Blinders role in The Immortal Man, a continuation of the BBC show. Meanwhile, Holland is among the star-studded cast of Christopher Nolan's next movie, an adaptation of The Odyssey. And Holland will return in the upcoming untitled fourth Spider-Man film.

In the Heart of the Sea includes an incredible cast led by Chris Hemsworth. Based on In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick, the movie follows a crew whose ship sinks after encountering a giant whale. In the Heart of the Sea received mixed reviews when it premiered in 2015 and has a 42% Rotten Tomatoes score. Despite the divisive response the movie got, the performance of the actors is one of its saving graces.

Directed by Ron Howard, In the Heart of the Sea is a film adaptation of the story that inspired Moby Dick. In the Heart of the Sea stars Chris Hemsworth, along with other renowned actors such as Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson.

Actor

Character

Chris Hemsworth

Owen Chase

Benjamin Walker

George Pollard Jr.

Cillian Murphy

Matthew Joy

Tom Holland

Young Thomas Nickerson

Brendan Gleeson

Old Thomas Nickerson

Ben Wishaw

Herman Melville

Michelle Fairley

Mrs.

Oscar-winning Spotlight writer-director Tom McCarthy, Episodes co-creators David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik and documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield will all be honored at the the upcoming Nantucket Film Festival.

McCarthy will receive the screenwriters tribute, which has previously been given to Oliver Stone, David O. Russell, Judd Apatow, Paul Haggis, Aaron Sorkin, Nancy Meyers and Steve Martin, among others. This year, for the first time, the screenwriters tribute was determined by a writers jury, consisting of Barry Levinson, Ben Stiller, Nancy Meyers and Nathaniel Philbrick.

The Emmy-nominated writing team Crane and Klarik will receive the creative impact in television writing award....

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

Lineup Announcements

– Montclair Film has announced the full program for the 6th annual Montclair Film Festival (Mff), taking place April 28 – May 7, 2017 in Montclair, NJ and featuring over 150 films, events, discussions, and parties, with over 150 filmmakers and industry guests attending. Highlights include “Casting JonBenet,” “Strong Island,” “Lady Macbeth,” “Menashe” and “Beach Rats.”

“This year, we have been fortunate to find filmmakers who are making work that gives depth and shape to the vital conversations of our time,” said Montclair Film Executive Director Tom Hall. “The festival is an opportunity for bringing audiences together with these incredible artists, so that, together, we can enjoy and engage with the images, ideas, and insights that are illuminated in these wonderful films.” Check out the full lineup right here.

– The Film Society...

Ben Affleck is enjoying time with his kids — and getting ready for his next big movies.

The morning after announcing on his Facebook page that he had completed rehab for alcohol addiction, Affleck was business as usual as he was spotted taking his kids to school. A source tells People that the actor is relishing time with his children Violet, 11, Seraphina, 7, and Sam, 5, now that he’s back home.

“Ben is spending special time with all the kids separately,” the source says. “He seems very happy. The mood in general seems very upbeat. The kids are thrilled that he is back.

Warner Bros. Pictures has signed "In the Heart of the Sea" author and "The Town" co-scribe Aaron Stockard to pen an adaptation of Nathaniel Philbrick's novel "Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution".

Originally set up three years ago as a possible directing vehicle for Ben Affleck, that possibility still remains with Affleck, Matt Damon and Jennifer Todd to produce the film through through their Pearl Street company.

The book deals with the events leading up to 1775's bloody Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston where two-hundred British soldiers were killed and the battle was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. It ultimately gave encouragement to colonists by demonstrating that the local militias could stand up to British troops.

The story centers around 33-year-old physician Joseph Warren who was leader of the Patriot cause. Paul Revere, George Washington, British General Thomas Gage and his successor William Howe...

Exclusive: After co-writing with Ben Affleck The Town (with Peter Craig) and Gone Baby Gone, Aaron Stockard has signed to script Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution, the Nathaniel Philbrick book that Warner Bros acquired in 2013 as a potential directing vehicle for Affleck. Pearl Street’s Affleck and Matt Damon are producing with Jennifer Todd, and there’s no solid commitment beyond that at this point. Stockard has been Pearl Street’s go-to guy on Boston-centric…...

Ron Howard’s sea-faring escapade In the Heart of the Sea washes up on Blu-ray this month. With a strong cast and usually dependable director, the film presents itself as a maritime adventure, the “incredible true story that inspired Moby Dick,” based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s non-fiction account of the wreckage of the whaling ship Essex by a massive white whale. As such, it forms the very basis of an American epic. If only In the Heart of the Sea could live up to its promises.

The film reinforces its tagline right off the bat by introducing Melville himself (the underused Ben Whishaw). He shows up at the Nantucket home of Thomas Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), armed with a notebook and a wallet of cash in the hopes that Mr. Nickerson can be convinced to tell the story of what exactly happened on the ill-fated whaling ship the Essex many years before.

★★★☆☆ Yarns don't get more ripping than the story of Moby Dick - a fictional tale inspired by the real-life exploits of an early 19th century whaling ship which purportedly came off worst when it went up against a colossal, blubber-lined adversary in the form of a bull sperm whale. It's this gargantuan clash which has captured the imagination of Ron Howard, who brings to the screen an adaptation of Nathaniel Philbrick's 2000 book of that infamous nautical clash, In the Heart of the Sea (2015).

Ron Howard’s nautical tale boasts fine acting, but the visuals and the vengeful white whale are unconvincing

In Apollo 13, director Ron Howard breathed nail-biting cinematic life into the true story of astronauts sitting in a tin can in the vast abyss of space, desperately trying to get home alive. Now, in this fanciful adaptation of Nathaniel Philbrick’s nonfiction bestseller (screenwriter Charles Leavitt shares story credit with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver), he gives us sailors drifting on an endless ocean, searching for land while being terrorised by a giant sperm whale. Both films require a high level of visual invention to bring their spectacular narratives to the screen, from the weightlessness of space to the crushing burdens of the sea. But both are also films about storytelling: the former examining how an increasingly neglected Nasa narrative reconnected with a complacent public when potential tragedy reared its head, the latter imaginatively revisiting the roots of a tale that became one of the defining texts of American literature, Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick.

Howard struggles to invest his quasi-mythical creature with the physicality which defined Jaws

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Ron Howard’s nautical tale boasts fine acting, but the visuals and the vengeful white whale are unconvincing

In Apollo 13, director Ron Howard breathed nail-biting cinematic life into the true story of astronauts sitting in a tin can in the vast abyss of space, desperately trying to get home alive. Now, in this fanciful adaptation of Nathaniel Philbrick’s nonfiction bestseller (screenwriter Charles Leavitt shares story credit with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver), he gives us sailors drifting on an endless ocean, searching for land while being terrorised by a giant sperm whale. Both films require a high level of visual invention to bring their spectacular narratives to the screen, from the weightlessness of space to the crushing burdens of the sea. But both are also films about storytelling: the former examining how an increasingly neglected Nasa narrative reconnected with a complacent public when potential tragedy reared its head,...

Coming to our screens on St. Stephen’s Day after a long bout at sea, is Chris Hemsworth in Ron Howard’s whaling epic, In The Heart of The Sea. Having had its release switched from Spring this year to Winter, the film sits rather neatly into the Christmas calendar, when appetites may well have turned from the space behemoth of Star Wars, to a behemoth of the sea. The film, based on the best-selling book by Nathaniel Philbrick tells the true story of the Essex whaling ship that provided Herman Melville with his inspiration for his American classic Moby Dick. The premise is a simple one. The crew sail a vast ocean hunting whales for their oil, when a giant whale makes it his mission to take them and their ship down into the murky depths. At the helm is Chris Hemsworth as First Mate Owen Chase, who when we see him first,...

Ron Howard engagingly reworks the story that inspired Moby-Dick, with Chris Hemsworth and Cillian Murphy among a band of shipwrecked sailors

They’re going to need a bigger boat – or a smaller obsession. Ron Howard’s new movie is an entertaining maritime yarn from the 19th century, all about a doomed voyage: like Apollo 13 only with more scurvy and beards. Howard is a director who believes in strong, primary-colour storytelling, with plenty of uncomplicated emotion. Yet this story is oddly more subtle than you might think, giving an unexpected oblique sidelight into the psychological origin of American literature’s greatest mythic monster. It re-imagines the true story that partly inspired Herman Melville’s great novel Moby-Dick, though English teachers the world over will be pained to see this film do without the hyphen. A Massachusetts whaling ship, The Essex, sank in 1820 leaving a handful of crew adrift on open...

One of my favorite films in Ron Howard's long career as a director was "Rush," and part of what I loved about it was how it didn't really feel like a Ron Howard film. There was something audacious and rude and hilarious about the film's unlikable set of main characters. Howard is the perfect studio filmmaker because his work is rarely dangerous or challenging. He makes professional movies with good casts that tend to be good but rarely great. There are a number of Ron Howard films that I like, and a I few that I really like. "Apollo 13." "Frost/Nixon." "Parenthood." "Rush." "Night Shift." "Splash." I like that he's spent his career trying different things. He's capable of putting some of the best technical artists in the business together, and he always seems to give himself to his movies 100%. When I'm not a fan of a film he's made,...

In drama, there are three types of conflict man versus man, man versus self, and man versus nature. In Ron Howard's new film, In The Heart Of The Sea, Chris Hemsworth and Broadway favorite Benjamin Walker face all three types of conflicts as they battle a vengeful white whale. Loosely based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Nathaniel Philbrick, the film tells the story of the Whaleship Essex, which served as partial inspiration for the Herman Melville classic, Moby Dick. Though Melville's novel is filled with Romantic language and rich, nuanced themes of class, obsession, and race, In The Heart Of The Sea is a slick, depthless film that removes nearly all historical accuracy from this harrowing and terrifying tale. However, what the film lacks in emotion and authenticity, it nearly makes up for in visual majesty and grandeur.

Ron Howard has wanted to go sailing for a while. In the ’80s, he flirted with directing a film called “Rainbow Warrior,” based on a real event in which the Greenpeace ship of the same name was hijacked. In the ’90s, he was in talks to make an adaptation of the Jack London novel “Sea Wolf.” Both projects eventually fell through. But “In the Heart of the Sea,” which opened Friday, is “the culmination of a long wish to do an adventure story at seas,” the director said. The movie, based on the book by Nathaniel Philbrick about the true story.

“How does one come to know the unknowable?” are the words that begin Ron Howard’s In the Heart of the Sea, and one wishes the film itself genuinely explored that question instead of merely paying lip service to it. The film is an adaptation of Nathaniel Philbrick’s best-selling book about the 1820 tragedy of the whaling ship Essex, which reportedly inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick. Hence, the script’s odd framing device, in which Melville (played by Ben Whishaw) tracks down an aging, haunted sailor named Tom Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), who served as a young crewman on the doomed ship. Nickerson then tells his tale … which focuses mostly on the ship’s first mate Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth). In other words, Melville narrates a story in which Nickerson narrates a story about Chase. You’d think these nesting framing devices would lead to some kind of deep perceptual insight,...

Chris Hemsworth isn’t quite as imposing in real life as he is on screen as the Marvel cinematic universe’s mighty Thor.

“I’m a good 20, 30 pounds lighter than when I play Thor,” says the still strapping, 32-year-old Australian during an interview in Burbank, California.

But that’s nothing. For his latest movie, In the Heart of the Sea, Hemsworth endured a 500 calorie per day diet to portray Owen Chase, first mate from the Nantucket-based whaling ship Essex who, in 1820, spent three months wasting away in a tiny boat after a monster whale smashed his ship. The expedition’s few survivors eventually turned to cannibalism. The true-life tale was one of the inspirations for Herman Melville’s great American novel Moby-Dick.

It was Hemsworth’s idea to do this to himself.

“There was a book, In the Heart of the Sea (by National Book Award winner Nathaniel Philbrick), which sort of documented the event,...

On paper, this must have seemed like a sure-fire idea: a dramatization of the real-life encounter between a whaling ship and a ferocious (even vindictive) whale that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick. But despite a lavish production and a proven director, it doesn’t work. Several screenwriters toiled on the adaptation of Nathaniel Philbrick’s National Book Award-winner about the 1820 voyage of the whaleship Essex. Director Ron Howard has as good an eye for casting as anyone, and his leading roles are well filled by Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, and...

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With very few films still to be seen, we more or less know who and what the Academy Award hopefuls for 2015 realistically are. Sure, we don’t know exactly what will happen, but the mysteries are drying up. One that still remains is if members of the Academy will take to Ron Howard’s latest work. Yes, with this week seeing the release of In the Heart of the Sea, another of the very few releases left for 2015 is coming to theaters. Howard’s flick is hoping to catch on with audiences, which in turn might help with its appeal towards Oscar attention. I have my doubts that it will happen, but there’s certainly a chance. As such, it’s something well worth discussing, so that’s what we’ll do right now… The movie is an adaptation of the Nathaniel Philbrick book “In the Heart of the Sea...

In the Heart of the Sea

Written by Charles Leavitt

Directed by Ron Howard

USA, 2015

Save for a few random whale attacks, there’s nothing to hold your attention in Ron Howard’s latest action yarn, In the Heart of the Sea. It’s a grim, plodding affair that cares more about impressing you than entertaining you. The characters are so thin and the themes so haphazard that Howard’s film manages to be about nothing and everything, all at the same time. A couple of moderately-impressive action scenes can’t save In the Heart of the Sea from being a complete wreck.

Warning: This is not an adaptation of Moby Dick! This is an adaptation of a novel by Nathaniel Philbrick about the story that inspired Moby Dick… as relayed to Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) by Tom Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), the last surviving member of the doomed Essex. In 1820, the whaling vessel departed Nantucket,...

In the Heart of the Sea

Written by Charles Leavitt

Directed by Ron Howard

USA, 2015

Save for a few random whale attacks, there’s nothing to hold your attention in Ron Howard’s latest action yarn, In the Heart of the Sea. It’s a grim, plodding affair that cares more about impressing you than entertaining you. The characters are so thin and the themes so haphazard that Howard’s film manages to be about nothing and everything, all at the same time. A couple of moderately-impressive action scenes can’t save In the Heart of the Sea from being a complete wreck.

Warning: This is not an adaptation of Moby Dick! This is an adaptation of a novel by Nathaniel Philbrick about the story that inspired Moby Dick… as relayed to Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) by Tom Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), the last surviving member of the doomed Essex. In 1820, the whaling vessel departed Nantucket,...

Famous for his eclectic body of work, director Ron Howard sets out once again to tackle a new beast with "In the Heart of the Sea," this time in the form of a mammoth whale. On Monday night, The New York Times celebrated this Friday's release of "In the Heart of the Sea" with a TimesTalk between Howard and Charles McGrath at The TimesCenter. The Academy Award-winning director articulated his attempt to bridge the gap between an old-fashioned whaling picture and an immersive, state-of-the-art cinematic experience. Howard also detailed how the grueling filmmaking process eventually came to reflect the brutality of the true story that the film was based on. Read More: Why Chris Hemsworth Wants to Move Beyond Action Movies Based on the book by Nathaniel Philbrick, "In the Heart of Sea" tells the harrowing real-life story of the whalers of the Essex that inspired Herman Melville's "Moby Dick.

Two if by Sea: Howard’s Whaling Expedition Sinks to the Fathoms

Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick is one of the seminal epics of American literature, adapted several times for film and television over the decades, though John Huston’s 1956 film version still stands as the most accomplished cinematic rendering. Director Ron Howard adapts Nathaniel Philbrick’s 2000 novel In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, a retelling of the aquatic ordeal upon which Melville based his famous text. Suffering from some obnoxious moments of stilted bids at heroic nobility from its central characters and weighted down with considerable cliché, the screenplay, adapted by Charles Leavitt, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver, is a framed narrative that doesn’t seem to have sparked the passion of its adapters. Saddled with a PG-13 rating, which hampers the narrative’s more sensational elements, (such as the depiction...

As handsomely constructed as the wooden vessel on which it’s largely set, yet dramatically choppy as the ocean its protagonists set out to conquer, In the Heart of the Sea feels like the most windless, workmanlike adaptation of its ambitious story possible.

That may sound utterly damning, though it should be said that there are far worse things for a movie to be than serviceable. Director Ron Howard does his best to recreate the physical and psychological adversities endured by his characters, even succeeding in some places, and most of the central performances are appropriately rough-and-tumble. There are also a couple of solidly executed action sequences in the movie’s first half, moments Howard mines for decent amounts of tension. But anyone familiar with the real-life tale at the heart of this endeavor should be nonetheless dismayed by how strangely rudderless Howard’s take on the material feels, from first frame to last.

As Captain Ahab and Hollywood animal handlers well know, it’s just about impossible to wrangle a sperm whale. So for the upcoming In the Heart of the Sea, based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s nonfictional account of the harrowing real-life events that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, director Ron Howard and his team had to digitally build their own beast. Howard and visual-effects supervisor Jody Johnson talked through the creation of a key shot — the white whale’s tail rising ominously above the doomed sailors.The Setting “We needed the actors in a tank so we could get the water hitting their bodies,” says Johnson. “Then to create the sea going to the horizon, we used computer-generated water combined with live-action footage of water filmed off the coast of Morocco. The clouds are photography and digital painting — so is the lighting, to help get the dramatic hero shot of the tail.

From John Huston’s blood-drenched Moby Dick to Richard Harris’s orca epiphany, cinema has always loved a whale hunt. Will In the Heart of the Sea land the big one?

From Pinocchio to Free Willy, from Whale Rider to Blackfish, cinema has frequently dallied with what the whale might, or might not, mean. In 1943, Walt Disney even turned Nazi Germany into a fearsome animated whale about to swallow plucky Britain. But above them all looms one legendary beast: the great white whale, Moby-Dick, freighted with portentous doom.

Ron Howard’s imminent action movie, In the Heart of the Sea, based on the bestselling book by Nathaniel Philbrick, follows the fate of the Essex, a Nantucket whaleship sunk by a sperm whale in the Pacific in 1820, and the terrible consequences that ensued. It was this same story that Herman Melville used for his 1851 epic novel, thereby turning reality into literary legend.

Based on the book by Nathaniel Philbrick, Warner Bros and Village Roadshow’s In The Heart Of The Sea is diving into 38 international territories this weekend and the first numbers are in. The Ron Howard-directed fight for survival story of the crew of the Whaleship Essex grossed $5.5M through Friday. The Thursday take was $2.2M from 6,268 screens in 26 markets with yesterday adding over $3M in the full 38 on 8,500. The footprint now covers about 55% of offshore play…...

The big selling point for “In the Heart of the Sea” is that it’s based on the true-life incident that inspired Herman Melville to write “Moby-Dick,” but that’s like pitching a movie version of “Holinshed’s Chronicles” by saying it led to “Macbeth.” Why film the truth, to paraphrase “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” when you can film the legend instead? That’s a question that director Ron Howard and screenwriter Charles Leavitt (“Seventh Son”) never quite answer in this sweeping film, although they have managed to make the whales the most compelling characters in this account (based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s.

Not even Chris Hemsworth wielding a harpoon can stop Ron Howard’s retelling of the Essex of Nantucket story from losing its way in the waves

“I married a whaleman.” It sounds like the title of a Roger Corman picture, but it’s a world-weary sigh heaved by Charlotte Riley, pregnant wife of Chris Hemsworth’s Owen Chase, first mate of the doomed Essex of Nantucket. He’s off on another dangerous voyage on behalf of the greedy jerks that sit behind their desks while good men put their necks on the line. That’s what Chase is thinking, anyway, when his promised captaincy is bumped down a peg while to-the-manor born George Pollard Jr (Benjamin Walker) is given command. If Chase sits this one out, he’ll get his own commission next time, but will there be a next time with a novice captain running things?

This setup is told in flashback,...

A sort of maritime Donner Party, In the Heart of the Sea is a rugged but underwhelming true-life drama of a cursed 19th century whaling voyage. The hook here is that the journey of the Essex from Nantucket to the South Pacific in 1820 helped inspire Herman Melville to write Moby-Dick thirty years later; this is, however, only partially the case and hardly seems enough upon which to base a tragic tale driven partly by hubris and insecurity but mostly by very bad luck. Ron Howard's film of Nathaniel Philbrick's 2000 National Book Award for Nonfiction winner holds

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Billed as the story that inspired Moby Dick, Ron Howard's adaptation of Nathaniel Philbrick's National Book Award winner is a shamelessly old-fashioned sea-faring yarn recounting the true story of the Essex, a Nantucket whaleship that sank after being attacked by a giant sperm whale.Told in extensive flashback by Thomas Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), at the insistence of writer Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw), who is researching his as-yet unwritten masterpiece, In The Heart of the Sea mostly takes place in 1820, as the whaleship Essex leaves Nantucket, Massachusetts under the command of Captain George Pollard (Benjamin Walker). The inexperienced skipper is instantly at loggerheads with his first mate, Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), who has sailed for years and believes he should be in charge. Among their crew are...

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Oscar winner Ron Howard (“A Beautiful Mind”) directs the action adventure In The Heart Of The Sea, based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s best-selling book about the dramatic true journey of the Essex.

In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story. In The Heart Of The Sea reveals the encounter’s harrowing aftermath, as the ship’s surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive. Braving storms, starvation, panic and despair, the men will call into question their deepest beliefs, from the value of their lives to the morality of their trade.

The film stars Chris Hemsworth (“The Avengers,” “Rush”) as the vessel’s veteran first mate,...

Chris Hemsworth has been making the publicity rounds in advance of his latest movie, In the Heart of the Sea. The movie is based on a true story about a ship's crew who were stalked by a giant sperm whale in 1820, a tale that inspired Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick. Writer Nathaniel Philbrick related the riveting story in his book In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whalehip Essex, first published in 2000. The crew lost their ship in the Pacific Ocean, and then set off in whaleboats for South America, more than 1,000 miles away. They suffered from dehydration and starvation, leading to desperate measures as they were at sea for some 90 days. In order to lend authenticity to their roles, the actors -- including Cillian Joy, Tom Holland, and Benjamin Walker...

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Spanish film composer Roque Baños, best known for "The Machinist" (2004) and "Sexy Beast" (2000), has teamed with Ron Howard for the director's upcoming historical adventure, "In the Heart of the Sea." The film tells the true-life story of the Essex, whose crew was stranded at sea for more than 90 days in 1820 after being rammed by a Moby Dick-like whale. Adapted by Charles Leavitt ("Blood Diamond") from Nathaniel Philbrick's nonfiction National Book Award winner, "In the Heart of Sea" stars Chris Hemsworth as first mate Owen Chase, attempting to lead the men in the harrowing aftermath of the shipwreck. Baños co-conducted each of the rehearsal sessions for what may be his biggest artistic undertaking to date — combining unique sounds and textures tailored specifically to Howard's vision. Over the course of his career, Baños has scored over fifty films and television series, winning...

Chris Hemsworth has been making the publicity rounds in advance of his latest movie, In the Heart of the Sea. The movie is based on a true story about a ship's crew who were stalked by a giant sperm whale in 1820, a tale that inspired Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick. Writer Nathaniel Philbrick related the riveting story in his book In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, first published in 2000. The crew lost their ship in the Pacific Ocean, and then set off in...

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Come January, Craig Gillespie’s real-life drama The Finest Hours will whisk moviegoers back into the year 1952, telling the gruelling tale of a sinking oil tanker in the bitter-cold waters of the North Atlantic. Before that, though, the award-winning director Ron Howard is primed to take us further back in time with In The Heart of the Sea, which is set to tell a very different tale of life on the high seas.

Arriving not long after the latest – and final – trailer for the Warner Bros.’ epic, today’s batch of screenshots are intended to spotlight some of the leading cast members, particularly those aboard the doomed Essex whaling ship. Upon encountering a sperm whale of gargantuan size, In The Heart of the Sea then unfolds into a survival pic, charting a Herculean tussle between humanity and nature that would eventually go on to seed Herman Melville’s seminal novel,...

A new extended look at Ron Howard’s absolutely stunning In The Heart of the Sea has come our way, packing in shedloads of action, drama, and awesome shot of a bad ass whale into just under three minutes. Released: 11th December (U.S.)/ 26th December (Irl/U.K.) Synopsis: Oscar winner Ron Howard ("A Beautiful Mind") directs the action adventure "In the Heart of the Sea," based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s best-selling book about the dramatic true journey of the Essex. In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story. "In the Heart of the Sea" reveals the encounter’s harrowing aftermath, as the ship’s surviving crew is...

Warner Bros. Pictures has released brand new, high-resolution photos from their upcoming film, In The Heart Of The Sea.

Oscar winner Ron Howard (“A Beautiful Mind”) directs the action adventure, based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s best-selling book about the dramatic true journey of the Essex.

In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story. In The Heart Of The Sea reveals the encounter’s harrowing aftermath, as the ship’s surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive. Braving storms, starvation, panic and despair, the men will call into question their deepest beliefs, from the value of their lives to the morality of their trade.

Warner Bros. Pictures has released a final extended trailer for Ron Howard's epic new action adventure "In the Heart of the Sea," which focuses on the character of young Thomas Nickerson played by Tom Holland. The film is based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s best-selling book about the dramatic true journey of the Essex.

“In the Heart of the Sea” stars Chris Hemsworth (“The Avengers,” “Rush”) as the vessel’s veteran first mate Owen Chase; Benjamin Walker (“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”) as its inexperienced Captain, George Pollard; Cillian Murphy (“The Dark Knight Rises”) as second mate Matthew Joy; and Ben Whishaw (“Skyfall”) as novelist Herman Melville, whose inquiries into the event 30 years later helped bring the story to light.

Tom Holland (“The Impossible”) also stars as young seaman Tom Nickerson, and Brendan Gleeson (“Edge ofTomorrow”) as the same man, 30 years later. Spanish actor Jordi Mollá (“Riddick”) is the captain of another ship,...

The latest poster for In The Heart of the Sea has a great old school feel to it, with Chris Hemsworth front and centre. Originally the movie was due to hit cinemas at the start of this year, but reshoots and delays have moved it to December 26th. So far the trailers have been phenomenal and the movie is shaping up to be something epic. We've waited this long, we can surely wait another whale longer. Sorry. Synopsis Oscar winner Ron Howard (“A Beautiful Mind”) directs the action adventure “In the Heart of the Sea,” based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s best-selling book about the dramatic true journey of the Essex. In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick.

"Monsters, are they real?" So asks writer Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) in the new trailer for "In the Heart of the Sea," director Ron Howard's historical epic about the Essex, whose crew was stranded at sea for more than 90 days in 1820 after being rammed by a Moby Dick-like whale. Adapted by Charles Leavitt ("Blood Diamond") from Nathaniel Philbrick's nonfiction National Book Award winner, "In the Heart of Sea" stars Chris Hemsworth as first mate Owen Chase, attempting to lead the men back from "the edge of sanity" in the harrowing aftermath of the shipwreck. (The cast reportedly reduced their food intake to 500-600 calories per day to transform into starving, dehydrated sailors.) Distributed by Warner Bros. and co-starring Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, and Tom Holland, "In the Heart of the Sea" sails into theaters Dec. 11.