Anil Krishna 
Jonathan Millar 
James Oconner 
© 20th Century Studios
After making a name for himself with Resident Evil, Austin Abrams was hoping to build on that momentum with Whalefall. The new film, directed by Brian Duffield, has been getting plenty of praise from critics, with some calling it a tense survival thriller that also has something meaningful to say about trauma and grief. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm hasn’t translated into ticket sales. The film’s opening weekend was a disappointment, and the numbers suggest it has a long way to go if it’s going to recover its costs.
Another Box Office Setback for 20th Century Studios
20th Century Studios hasn’t exactly had the easiest time producing consistent theatrical hits since Disney acquired the company, and Whalefall is the latest film to run into trouble. Released in theatres on October 16, the movie brought in just $8 million domestically and $17.5 million worldwide over its opening weekend. That’s a rough start for a production reportedly costing $60 million.
A film generally needs to earn considerably more than its production budget to cover marketing, distribution and other expenses. In Whalefall‘s case, the worldwide box office would reportedly need to reach around $150 million for the film to turn a profit. Given how slowly it’s started, that looks like a difficult target to hit.
The film also had plenty of competition overseas. In Italy, audiences were turning out for the Pino Daniele biopic Je so’ Pazzo, directed by Nicola Prosatore, which passed €1 million. Rob Savage’s Other Mummy, starring Jessica Chastain, earned €853,000, while Paolo Strippoli’s L’estranea brought in €813,000. Elsewhere, Whalefall had to compete with bigger releases such as Sense and Sensibility, Street Fighter and You Can See Everything. It hasn’t found much room to grow so far, and a strong critical response alone may not be enough to change that.
Critics Are Praising Whalefall as a Tense Survival Thriller
The box office numbers tell one story, but the critical response has been much more encouraging. Based on Daniel Kraus’s novel, Whalefall follows Jay Gardiner, a young man struggling to come to terms with the death of his estranged father, Mitt, played by Josh Brolin. Mitt, who had received a terminal diagnosis, drowned himself in the Pacific Ocean. Jay later heads out on a solo diving mission to recover his father’s remains, only for the trip to go horribly wrong.
Jay is swallowed alive by an enormous sperm whale, measuring around 80 feet long and weighing roughly 100,000 pounds. With limited oxygen and almost no room to move, he’s suddenly fighting to stay alive inside an animal that could kill him at any moment. Getting out is no simple matter, and the situation forces him to confront the complicated feelings he’s been carrying about his father. The survival story and the family drama are closely tied together, building towards an emotional climax.
Critics have responded well to the film’s tension and filmmaking, with Austin Abrams’ performance receiving particular attention. Much of the story places him in an intensely isolated situation, leaving him to carry the film through fear, desperation and some pretty uncomfortable moments. That isn’t an easy task, but the performance seems to be one of the film’s biggest strengths.
The movie has even received praise from Hideo Kojima, the celebrated video game creator, giving it another notable endorsement despite its disappointing start in theatres.
For now, Whalefall finds itself in an awkward position. Critics may see it as a worthwhile survival thriller, but audiences haven’t shown up in the numbers the studio would have wanted. Whether positive word of mouth can help it recover over the next few weeks remains to be seen. At the moment, though, its box office performance is a much tougher story than the reviews.
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