After the huge success of their collaboration on sports drama Rush, Ron Howard and Chris Hemsworth are teaming up again for another film based on true events, In the Heart of the Sea. However, instead of facing bitter rivals and bad driving conditions, Hemsworth and his seafaring crew will have to contend with an eighty-foot sperm whale that destroys their hunting vessel, leaving them stranded at sea with limited supplies.
In the Heart of the Sea is based on the non-fiction book ‘In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex‘, but the events depicted within are more widely known as the inspiration behind Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby-Dick. Howard’s screenplay for In the Heart of the Sea was penned by Charles Leavitt, who wrote the political thriller Blood Diamond and is currently working on two upcoming fantasy films, Seventh Son and Warcraft.
In addition to Hemsworth, Howard’s latest venture boasts a typically impressive cast, including Tom Holland (The Impossible), Cilian Murphy (Batman Begins, Inception), Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and Brendan Gleeson (Edge of Tomorrow, Calvary), who recounts the fateful events of 1820 to a young Melville (Ben Whishaw, Skyfall), who then proceeds to fictionalize the story in the form of Moby-Dick. Judging by the trailer, the acting ability of each cast member will be pushed to their limits in this primal story of survival. Don’t believe us? Check out the footage below.
It’s refreshing to watch a high budget trailer that hasn’t been made to promote a film based on a young adult novel or a comic book property, although of course it will be fun to see Thor duke it out with the literary monster Moby-Dick on the big screen. The adrenaline packed visuals look spectacular thanks to the film’s Oscar-winning cinematographer, Anthony Dod Mantle, who also collaborated with Howard on Rush and quite honestly, In the Heart of the Sea looks set to be one of Howard’s best films in years.
Does In the Heart of the Sea have any Oscar winning potential? Can Benjamin Walker regain his dignity after the travesty of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? And will Thor kick Moby-Dick’s ass?
Find out when In the Heart of the Sea dives into cinemas on March 13, 2015.
