10 Sept 2026
In theatres
Whalefall
- Release date
- 16 October 2026
- Rating
- 10.0 / 10 on TMDB
EnglishThriller
Whalefall released in theatres on Friday, 16 October 2026.
Whalefall review: what critics say8 critics on Whalefall: 4 positive, 2 mixed, 2 negative. Every verdict quoted, with ratings and links to the full reviews. · updated 17 October 2026Following the death of his father, Jay Gardiner goes diving off the central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape.
Audience anticipation6
Cast
Austin AbramsJay Gardiner
Josh BrolinMitt Gardiner
Elisabeth ShueZara Gardiner
John OrtizHewey
Jane LevyEva Gardiner
Emily RuddNan Gardiner
Cast and portraits from TMDB.
Watch the trailer
19 Aug 2026
More like this
Latest Whalefall news
16 stories
Breaking Hype
Wicker vs Whalefall Box Office: How a $10M Film Is Beating a $60M One
Black Bear’s Wicker is on track to outperform Whalefall in North America, despite a $50 million budget gap. The R-rated comedy, starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård, has grossed $14.2 million after 11 days. It’s now less than $5 million away from surpassing Whalefall’s $16.7 million total. Wicker, based on the short story The Wicker Husband, had a production budget of only $10 million.
4 Nov 20262 min
World
Austin Abrams on surviving Whalefall and Resident Evil
Austin Abrams reveals how he prepared for his dual roles in Whalefall and Resident Evil, enduring physical challenges from scuba training to unannounced weight gain. The actor avoids declaring which film was harder, but behind-the-scenes details suggest Whalefall's confined set was more punishing.
17 Oct 20262 min
World
Whalefall Director Reveals How He Crushed Austin Abrams Inside Whale Set
Whalefall director Brian Duffield describes building a cramped, water-filled whale stomach set where crew members physically crushed Austin Abrams while he breathed from a real oxygen tank.
17 Oct 20262 min
Regional Cinema
Whalefall Review Roundup: What Critics Are Saying
8 critics on Whalefall: 4 positive, 2 mixed, 2 negative. Every verdict quoted, with ratings and links to the full reviews.
15 Oct 20263 min
Breaking Hype
Street Fighter box office day 18: $53.9M US, closing in on Jared Leto’s flop
Street Fighter's North American total hits $53.9M after 18 days, edging past Jared Leto's $64.8M sci-fi flop despite a steep drop on its third Monday.
15 Oct 20262 min
World
Josh Brolin Admits He Had Doubts About Whalefall's Whale Premise
Josh Brolin says he initially doubted Whalefall's bold setup, a thriller spent largely inside a sperm whale, but now calls the finished film unexpectedly moving ahead of its October 16 release.
15 Oct 20262 min
Breaking Hype
Brian Duffield's Whalefall Set for Summer Release
Duffield co-adapted the film with author Daniel Kraus, who praised their collaboration. 'It was such a wonderful process. I joke that he’s my work husband now,' Duffield said. The film, set for release next summer, has already drawn comparisons to Annihilation and The Thing — but Duffield insists it’s something quieter, deeper. 'It’s not a fun movie. It’s not supposed to be.'
14 Oct 20262 min
World
Street Fighter Chases $30 Million Opening As You Can See Everything Surges
Four new releases, Street Fighter, Whalefall, You Can See Everything and Sense and Sensibility, hit North American theatres this weekend, with Paramount's reboot projected to open around $30 million amid a shaky October box office.
14 Oct 20262 min
World
Whalefall Review Traps Austin Abrams Inside A Whale's Belly
Variety's review of Whalefall, the Daniel Kraus adaptation starring Austin Abrams as a diver trapped inside a sperm whale, calls the thriller preposterous rather than terrifying.
14 Oct 20262 min
Box Office
Whalefall: Brolin Sobbed Reading the Script, Now the Whale Comes to India
Josh Brolin didn’t just cry when he read the script for Whalefall—he sobbed. Not because it was a thriller, not because it was a survival story, but because it hit something deeper.
12 Oct 20261 min
Breaking Hype
Austin Abrams Walked Mumbai Streets in Scuba Gear to Play a Man Swallowed by a Whale
Austin Abrams walked his neighbourhood in full scuba gear to prepare for Whalefall. The film, based on Daniel Kraus’s novel, releases October 16.
10 Oct 20262 min
Press Circuit
Whalefall Early Reviews Praise Austin Abrams' Whale-Trapped Survival Thriller
First reactions to Whalefall, starring Austin Abrams as a diver swallowed by a sperm whale, call the Brian Duffield film claustrophobic, emotional and a career moment for its lead ahead of its October 16 India theatrical release.
7 Oct 20262 min
World
Whalefall Reviews Split Critics But Everyone Loves Austin Abrams
First reactions to Whalefall are in, and critics are divided on whether the survival thriller sticks the landing, though Austin Abrams' performance as a man trapped inside a whale is winning near-universal praise.
7 Oct 20262 min
Box Office
Austin Abrams' Whalefall Targets Modest October Opening
Whalefall, starring Austin Abrams alongside Josh Brolin and Elisabeth Shue, opens on October 16. Early estimates peg its first‑weekend takings at $10‑15 million, a far cry from Resident Evil’s $60 million record but ahead of many October releases.
29 Sept 20262 min
World
Whalefall Team Built A Working Animatronic Whale For Austin Abrams
Ahead of its October 16 release, Whalefall's new trailer confirms the survival thriller used a practical animatronic whale mouth rather than digital effects, with star Austin Abrams performing most of the underwater stunts himself.
11 Sept 20262 min
World
Whalefall's Third Trailer Puts Austin Abrams Inside A Sperm Whale
20th Century Studios released the third trailer for Whalefall, the Austin Abrams survival thriller about a diver swallowed by a sperm whale while searching for his late father's remains off the California coast.
10 Sept 20262 min