A '90s movie that became a beloved hit for a generation of families is being reimagined, it has been reported. If all goes to plan, you might say viewers will be in for a... whale of a time.
Free Willy was originally released in 1993 and told the story of an orphaned 12-year-old boy, Jesse, who befriends an orca at a troubled amusement park. When he learns that the park owner has plans to kill the titular animal, Jesse plots to break him out of captivity and release him into the wild.
Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the Russo brothers' production company AGBO has teamed up with writers Mary-Margaret Kunze and Jade Halley Bartlett on a new version of the story.
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Anthony and Joe Russo will be familiar to many as the directors behind several huge blockbusters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, as well as the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
It's worth noting, though, that at this stage they are attached to the new Free Willy as executive producers, not as directors, with a director for the project yet to be named.
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Kunze started her career at Marvel Television, on shows such as Agents of SHIELD and Daredevil. Bartlett, meanwhile, created the upcoming Netflix series Icebreaker.
Free Willy remains very popular with viewers, with one IMDb review saying: "This is a perfect example of a family film that knows exactly what it's doing."
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Among critics, it maintains a healthy 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading: "Free Willy tugs at the heartstrings skillfully enough to leap above the rising tide of sentimentality that threatens to drown its formulaic family-friendly story."
The original film was directed by Simon Wincer from a screenplay written by Keith Walker and Corey Blechman. It grossed over $153 million at the box office.
The movie starred Jason James Richter as Jesse, plus Lori Petty as Willy's vet and August Schellenberg as Randolph Johnson, the park caretaker.
Free Willy is currently streaming on NOW with a Cinema Pass in the UK, or available to rent from various digital stores.
Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including Metro, Attitude, Huffington Post, The Mirror, Yahoo!, Pink News and Express Online, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical Here & Now and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who'll listen.
