‘Whalefall’ Director on Taking Moviegoers Inside a Sperm Whale (in 4DX) and Stopping Star Austin Abrams From Doing Certain Stunts: ‘You Will Die!’

By Matt Minton

Matt Minton

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“Whalefall” director Brian Duffield is well aware that, in most cases, the main character getting swallowed by an animal would be a bit of a buzzkill.

“It would typically feel like the end of a movie,” Duffield tells Variety, cracking a wide grin. “Like, ‘RIP Austin!'”

But the team at Disney’s 20th Century Studios felt “bullish” on using the intense first 15 minutes of the adventure thriller — about a scuba diver (Austin Abrams) who, while looking for his father’s (Josh Brolin) remains, is swallowed whole by an 80-foot, 60-ton sperm whale — to tease what’s to come.

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