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A Free Willy Remake is Officially Swimmin’ Our Way
Warner Bros. Pictures is officially moving forward with a modern “reimagining” of the 1993 classic Free Willy, and some major Hollywood powerhouses are leading the charge.
Anthony and Joe Russo—the visionary minds behind some of Marvel’s biggest blockbusters like Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame—are set to executive produce the film under their AGBO production banner.
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While the Russo brothers are shepherding the project as executive producers, the day-to-day production will be handled by AGBO’s Angela Russo-Otstot, Michael Disco, and Kassee Whiting.
Warner Bros. has also tapped a dynamic writing duo to pen the script. Mary-Margaret Kunze and Jade Halley Bartlett (the creative team behind 2024’s Miller’s Girl) will be writing the screenplay for the new film. Kunze brings plenty of high-stakes storytelling experience to the table, having previously worked as a creative executive and producer on major Marvel Television projects like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Daredevil.
Perhaps the most exciting news for purists is that Lauren Shuler Donner, who produced the original 1993 film and anchored the entire franchise, is returning as an executive producer alongside Courtney Baker.
For those who need a quick refresher, the original Free Willy followed Jesse (played by Jason James Richter), a troubled 12-year-old orphan who befriends a captive orca named Willy at a struggling amusement park. When Jesse discovers the park’s owner plans to harm the whale for an insurance payout, he hatches a daring plan to break Willy out—culminating in one of the most iconic, leap-to-freedom movie endings in cinematic history.
Did You Know? The original Free Willy was an absolute box office smash. Made on a modest $20 million budget, it grossed over $153.7 million worldwide and sparked a massive real-world wave of ocean conservation and activism surrounding marine life in captivity.
The original film was so popular it spawned two theatrical sequels, a direct-to-video continuation, and even an animated TV series.
While the project is officially in active development, details on the plot, casting, or a potential release date are still tightly under wraps. No director has been attached to the film just yet.
A modern take on Free Willy will certainly look quite different today—especially given the massive shifts in public perception regarding marine parks and the incredible advancements in CGI tech since the 90s (meaning we likely won’t see a real orca doing any heavy lifting this time around!).
What do you think about this remake?
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