Chris Hemsworth and co. contend with the elements in this Moby Dick origin story.
A new trailer has been released for In the Heart of the Sea (2015), the latest from American filmmaker Ron Howard. Reteaming with his Rush (2013) leading man Chris Hemsworth, Howard directs the true story that would go on to inspire Herman Melville’s 1851 magnum opus “Moby-Dick”.
Set in 1820 and based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s 2000 National Book Award-winning “In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex”, Hemsworth plays first mate Owen Chase who, amongst 19 other crewmen, is faced with a traumatic fight for survival when their ship is destroyed by a ruthless sperm whale.
Filming was split between England’s Leavesden Studios and on location in the Canary Islands for the shipwreck scenes. The cast is rounded out by Ben Whishaw, Tom Holland, Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson.
Watch the trailer below:
Official synopsis:
In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story. “In the Heart of the Sea” reveals the encounter’s harrowing aftermath, as the ship’s surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive. Braving storms, starvation, panic and despair, the men will call into question their deepest beliefs, from the value of their lives to the morality of their trade, as their captain searches for direction on the open sea and his first mate still seeks to bring the great whale down.
In the Heart of the Sea is released in UK cinemas 26 December 2015
