‘In the Heart of the Sea’ Brings Shipwreck Story to the Big Screen

Alysia Gonzales

The long awaited Ron Howard epic film, “In the Heart of the Sea,” starring Chris Hemsworth, will be sailing into theaters on Dec. 11.  The original release date had been set for March 13  earlier this year, but the film was pushed back by Warner Bros to a date almost six months later, and just a week before “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is set to premiere.

There has been a lot of speculation about what would prompt a studio to pit a set-at-sea drama against the likes of what is arguably the largest franchise in cinema history. Lead actor Chris Hemsworth has also been noted as going to extreme measures to prepare for the role. Hemsworth recently posted a photo on Instagram, captioned “Just tried a new diet/training program called ‘Lost At Sea.’ Wouldn’t recommend it. #IntheHeartoftheSea.”  

The film is based on a book of the same name written by Nathaniel Philbrick, which tells the story of a whaling ship, “Essex,” and its journey lost at sea after being attacked by a sperm whale in November of 1820.  The book won the U.S. National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2000.  It was written using first hand accounts of a cabin boy present on the ship as well as a published account of the first mate. The crew was lost at sea for a total of three months, where most of the crew died from starvation and dehydration.

While the book makes no claims of this, the film’s marketing is claiming that this is the story that set the stage for the Moby Dick mythology. And if the film does well, it might very well be the platform for a future cinematic adaptation of the famed story of Ishmael.

“In the Heart of the Sea” sails into theaters on Dec. 11.