In the heart of the sea

Ron Howard is keeping it whale...

Director Ron Howard Starring Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Benjamin Walker, Tom Holland, Brendan Gleeson

ETA 13 March

“This is a badass whale,” promises Ron Howard. It ought to be – In The Heart Of The Sea is based on the story that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, the mother of all whale tales. At the heart of the movie is The Essex, the 19th-Century Nantucket whaleship whose voyage was cut dramatically short by a very angry sperm whale. “The survivors of the Essex all had a supernatural feeling about the whale,” explains Howard. “They wondered if it was punishment. Who was controlling it? Satan? God? They couldn’t believe that a creature could turn on them in that way...”

The men of The Essex may have pondered the otherworldly, but Howard’s film remains grounded in reality – far from the Marvel larks of lead Chris Hemsworth, who plays embattled first mate Owen Chase. “The physical stuff in those movies is much more elevated and fantastical,” says the Thor star. “This is trickier in a way – lots of swinging on rafts and beams on a moving ship. And half the time in bare feet, so somewhat more painful as well!”

Still, sore feet aside, Hemsworth was rather stoked to be reunited with his Rush director; he was the one who brought the project to Howard’s attention in the first place.

The filmmaker was flattered, “but more importantly, fascinated by what I thought was the entertainment value of this story,” says Howard. “I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people in a lot of different ways.” One such surprise is that it’s an all-action, need-to-see-at-the-cinema epic that’s firmly floating in two dimensions. A 3D version isn’t even on the table, according to Howard. “The style I’m going for is very contemporary, very naturalistic and intense,” reveals the director. “And I don’t think that would lend itself to a great 3D experience. But it will be big!”