Home · Entertainment · Oct 16 archive
Austin Abrams Trapped in Whale's Stomach in 'Whalefall'
· Confirmed
In Short: In 'Whalefall,' actor Austin Abrams finds himself in a harrowing predicament as he is trapped inside a whale's stomach, a challenge that director Brian Duffield describes as a unique and immersive experience.
Actor Austin Abrams stars in 'Whalefall,' a film that sees him trapped inside a whale's stomach, following his lead role in 'Resident Evil.' The movie, based on Daniel Kraus' novel of the same name, premiered on October 16, 2026.
Director Brian Duffield reached out to Kraus on social media when he first heard the premise of the novel, which was published in 2023. Duffield emphasized the importance of bringing the unique and challenging premise to life, noting, 'How do you fall in love with a character through its guts, basically. It’s definitely gross, but what are the ways that we can fall in love with this animal, because Austin is in such a unique situation.'
The production team faced numerous challenges in creating the whale's stomach set. StudioArt & Technology manufactured a 12-foot-tall, 18-foot-long whale head, and the stomach set was constructed in New Zealand. Duffield explained, 'It takes a village to build a whale, and I think it takes a really great village to survive it. And that’s been really one of the most gratifying parts of [production].'
Abrams, known for his physically demanding roles, embraced the challenge. He told The Hollywood Reporter, 'I don’t know why it’s ended up happening, but there’s been a decent amount recently that’s required a lot of physicality, which I also do love.' In 'Whalefall,' Abrams spends much of the film inside a physical contraption that simulates the whale's cavernous interior, complete with toxic air and other stomach contents.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that the film's premise is unique and potentially off-putting. 'But now that I’ve seen Whalefall, it seems that the only thing worse than actually being inside a whale’s stomach is pretending to be inside one,' the review stated. However, Variety praised the film's earnestness and perseverance, calling it 'a fearless tale of human perseverance and mammalian stomach lining.'
The film's production required meticulous planning and coordination. Duffield said, 'So we redesigned the regulator to give him as much mouth shape as possible. He actually does talk throughout the movie to himself or to other characters in the stomach.' The crew also had to work around the limitations of the set, constructing scenes around the one spot the camera could fit into the cramped space.
The film's premise is based on the novel 'Whalefall,' which was greeted with acclaim upon its release. Kraus found the 'high concept' hook for the book after corresponding with author Mary Roach and three whale experts she recommended. 'Sperm whales are extraordinarily intelligent. They’re one of the most mysterious animals on the planet. Everything about them is strange. They really feel like aliens,' Kraus noted.
Despite the challenges, Duffield and Abrams were committed to bringing the story to life. 'It’s such a small space and essentially a 360-degree set,' Duffield said. 'Whalefall' is a testament to their dedication and the film's unique vision.
What this adds
The film's production faced numerous technical challenges, including broken cameras and lenses due to the confined space. The crew had to carefully design the set to accommodate Abrams' movements and the camera work.
Abrams' career has seen him take on a variety of roles, from horror hits like 'The Grudge' and 'The Ring' to more recent productions like 'Barbarian' and 'Weapons,' demonstrating his versatility as an actor.
Background
Director Brian Duffield and actor Austin Abrams bring Daniel Kraus' novel 'Whalefall' to life, with Abrams trapped in a whale's stomach.
Actor Austin Abrams stars in 'Whalefall' after leading 'Resident Evil,' a film that earned him stellar reviews.
What's confirmed
- Duffield revealed that Asbell had indeed invited him to work on an Alien script – but by the sounds of things, it was more a polish, or perhaps as simple as providing some notes on changes, rather than a full-blown project.
- “I don’t know why it’s ended up happening, but there’s been a decent amount recently that’s required a lot of physicality, which I also do love,” Abrams tells Entertainment Weekly of his recent roles.
What's still developing
- “So we would take neoprene samples to New Zealand, where we built the stomachs, to show them under the lights, against the whale skin, to see what colors show up.” Cameras and lenses were broken “nonstop” during filming; the crew ultimately constructed scenes around the one spot the camera could actually fit into the cramped space and worked backwards from that vantage point.
- “[The ability to move my limbs] was the nice part about Resident Evil. But they both have their perks and [pitfalls],” he tells THR in support of Whalefall ’s Oct. 16 theatrical release.
- Abrams, who generally avoids sharing too much about himself on a personal level, does reveal that his family is a little irked by how often his characters die in movies, a pattern that began with his first film, 2011’s Ticking Clock.
- Yet Abrams still won’t kvetch about being crammed into a tiny whale-stomach set with a camera crew, while a half-dozen crew members surrounding the practical gut, wielding a gimbal, tossed him around like a wet rag doll.
- Not much fun, the inside of a whale, particularly when you’re trapped in it with a pissed-off giant squid that pulled you inside in a desperate effort to escape its fate.
- I’ve spackled a protective patina of irony onto the top of this review because Whalefall is, to its credit, almost goofily earnest in places.
- Nope: There are lots of very aggressive muscles trying to tenderize you before passing you along to a pit full of stomach acid.
- For the rest of the movie, he’ll attempt to survive inside that whale, which means keeping himself from getting sucked out of the creature’s digestive antechamber (which glows phosphorescent blue) and into its inner stomach cavity (which glows a hellish red), where the stomach acid will start to dissolve him.
- It should have been called “Project Hail Fish Guts.” Watching “Whalefall,” I kept thinking, “Why would anyone want to see this movie?” But the answer is obvious.
- “I had my fair share.” Based on the wildly popular video games, Resident Evil is the first big Abrams-fronted movie on screens this year.
- 16), he’s either dodging kamikaze zombies through the wintry streets of Raccoon City or going the way of Jonah into the stomach of a giant whale.
- “I’m not directing.” This isn’t to say that the rumours weren’t entirely inaccurate, though.