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In the Heart of the Sea (film)

From Alfawiki
In the Heart of the Sea
Company typeFilm
IndustryMotion picture
Founded2015
FounderRon Howard (director and co-producer)
Headquarters
United States, Spain
Key people
Ron Howard (director, co-producer), Charles Leavitt (screenplay), Rick Jaffa (narrative input), Amanda Silver (narrative input)
ProductsHistorical adventure drama film
ParentWarner Bros. Pictures (distributor)

In the Heart of the Sea is a 2015 historical adventure drama helmed and co-produced by Ron Howard, featuring a screenplay by Charles Leavitt with narrative input from Leavitt, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver. This U.S.-Spain international collaboration stars Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, and Brendan Gleeson. The movie is an adaptation of Nathaniel Philbrick's 2000 nonfiction work In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, which details the 1820 destruction of the American whaling vessel Essex, an incident that inspired Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.

The film debuted in New York City on December 7, 2015, and was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures starting December 11. Despite its notable cast and production, it failed to meet financial expectations, earning $94.3 million against a $100 million budget, and garnered mixed responses from critics.

Plot

In 1850, writer Herman Melville seeks out innkeeper Thomas Nickerson, the last surviving crew member of the sunken whaleship Essex, offering payment for his account. Initially hesitant, Nickerson consents after encouragement from his wife.

Back in 1820, a Nantucket-based whaling firm outfits the Essex for a profitable voyage; 14-year-old Nickerson joins as cabin boy. Experienced whaler Owen Chase is appointed first mate but is disappointed not to be captain. The ship’s commander, Captain George Pollard, lacks experience and harbors resentment toward Chase’s expertise, creating friction. Pollard insists on navigating through a storm despite Chase’s objections; however, they later reconcile and successfully kill their first bull sperm whale.

After three months without a catch in the Atlantic Ocean, the Essex rounds Cape Horn to enter the Pacific, aiming for richer whaling areas. In Atacames, Ecuador, a Spanish captain warns them about a vengeful "white whale" responsible for sinking his vessel. Undeterred by the warning, Pollard and Chase lead their crew westward.

They encounter abundant whaling zones, but a colossal bull sperm whale with distinctive white scars attacks their boats and damages the ship. Chase attempts to harpoon it from aboard but the whale strikes the hull violently, killing two crew members. The crew abandons the sinking Essex in three small whaleboats, embarking on a perilous journey hundreds of miles with scant provisions. The white whale assaults them again before they reach remote Henderson Island.

Chase discovers remains of previous castaways on the island; fearing death while awaiting rescue, four men remain behind while others set off in search of better prospects. The three boats separate; one disappears without trace. In one boat, following a sailor’s death, survivors resort to cannibalism. Nickerson becomes overwhelmed with guilt as he recounts this but finds solace in his wife’s support and continues his narrative.

The second boat also faces starvation and turns to cannibalism; Henry Coffin, Pollard’s cousin, sacrifices himself. The white whale reappears; Chase readies to strike but notices his harpoon still embedded above its eye. They share a tense encounter before the whale departs and is never seen again.

The two remaining boats part ways again; Pollard’s vessel is rescued by a passing ship while Chase’s drifts until reaching Chile’s Alejandro Selkirk Island. Survivors receive aid there before returning to Nantucket to reunite with their families.

Pressure from shipowners compels Pollard and Chase to conceal the whale attack to protect the whaling industry’s reputation. Chase resigns in protest; Pollard eventually discloses the truth during an official inquiry, provoking owners’ anger.

Nickerson recounts that a rescue mission retrieved three men left behind on Henderson Island. Chase went on to become a merchant sea captain; Pollard led another voyage but never encountered the white whale again and retired after his ship ran aground near the Hawaiian Islands.

Melville promises Nickerson that his forthcoming novel will fictionalize these events before departing to write Moby-Dick, opening with: "Call me Ishmael."

Cast


Production

Development of the film began in 2000 with director Barry Levinson attached under the banners of Miramax Films and Intermedia.[1] The screenplay was completed by Leavitt in 2004. By 2009, production transitioned to New Regency, with director Edward Zwick coming on board and collaborating on script revisions alongside producer Marshall Herskovitz.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

Casting

In June 2012, Chris Hemsworth was selected for the lead role of Owen Chase. The role of young Nickerson was awarded to Tom Holland in April 2013. By June, Cillian Murphy joined the cast as Matthew Joy. Prior to casting Benjamin Walker as Captain Pollard, other actors considered included Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, and Henry Cavill.

To ensure historical authenticity, nearly 200 wooden barrels were handcrafted by master cooper Alastair Simms, who also made an on-screen appearance demonstrating barrel-making techniques.

Filming

Principal photography commenced in September 2013 at locations including London and the facilities of Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in England. Additional scenes were shot on the island of La Gomera and various sites on Lanzarote, both part of Spain’s Canary Islands. For sequences depicting stormy seas, a water tank featuring a gimbal-mounted deck was constructed at Leavesden Studios; it utilized 500 gallons of chilled water to replicate turbulent ocean conditions.

A flash flood triggered by a severe storm near the Canary Islands caused a halt in production lasting one and a half days, resulting in an overall filming period extending to 73 days as scheduled.

On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Hemsworth disclosed that to authentically portray starving sailors, the cast adhered to a strict diet limited to 500–600 calories daily. This regimen led to his weight dropping from 215 to 175 pounds (97.5 to 79.3 kg). He characterized this project as "physically and emotionally the hardest movie" he has undertaken, highlighting its profound effect on realistically conveying the sailors’ suffering.

Music

The film’s score was composed by Roque Baños, who was recommended by Hans Zimmer, initially approached for the project.


Release

The release date for North America was postponed from March 13 to December 11, 2015, allowing time for conversion into a 3D format and improving its positioning for awards season consideration. Internationally, Warner Bros. opted for an earlier release by one week to avoid direct competition with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which debuted overseas on December 16. In North America, the film was also made available in the advanced Dolby Vision format via Dolby Cinema.

Home media

In the Heart of the Sea became available on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D beginning March 8, 2016. Subsequently, a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition was released on May 17, 2016.

Box office

Among Warner Bros.' releases in 2015, In the Heart of the Sea was one of two commercial failures, alongside Pan. The movie earned $25 million within the U.S. and Canada and $68.9 million internationally, culminating in a global total of $93.9 million, falling short of its $100 million production cost.

The film debuted on December 11, 2015, across 3,103 theaters throughout North America, including venues equipped for 3D and IMAX presentations. Although forecasts predicted an $18 million opening weekend, it generated only $3.8 million on its first day and $11.1 million during the full weekend, slightly behind The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, which brought in $11.4 million. Industry analysts attributed this lackluster performance to audience focus shifting to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which premiered the following week. Warner Bros. Executive Vice President Jeff Goldstein acknowledged the disappointing box office start but maintained confidence in director Ron Howard's vision.

By its third weekend, the number of theaters screening the film decreased sharply by 72.3%, dropping from 3,103 to just 685 locations—a decline among the most significant recorded.

Internationally, the movie launched a week earlier in 38 territories, earning $18.5 million from over 9,500 screens; approximately half were 3D-enabled, with 156 IMAX theaters representing about 7% of that total. It ranked first at the box office in Russia/CIS ($2 million), Italy ($1.7 million), Thailand, and Taiwan; meanwhile, it secured second place in South Korea ($2.6 million), Mexico ($1.9 million), and Brazil ($1.3 million), trailing local favorites or strong contenders such as Inside Men, The Good Dinosaur, and Mockingjay – Part 2.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 42% approval rating based on 241 reviews, averaging a score of 5.5 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads: "The admirably old-fashioned In the Heart of the Sea offers thoughtful storytelling alongside striking visuals, though it falls short of achieving the depth or epic scope it clearly aims for." On Metacritic, it has a score of 47 out of 100 derived from 47 critics, signifying "mixed or average" reviews. Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore resulted in a "B+" rating.

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky from The A.V. Club characterized the movie as "beautiful yet quite cheesy."

Accolades

Year Award/Festival Category Recipient(s) Result
Template:Center 24th Heartland Film Festival Truly Moving Picture Award Template:Center Template:Won
2016 15th Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature Template:Center Template:Nom
37th Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor (14 - 21) Template:Center Template:Nom
18th Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Action Template:Center Template:Nom
Choice Movie Actor: Action Template:Center Template:Nom
Choice Movie Actress: Action Template:Center Template:Nom

See also

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named IndieWire
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