Disney+ and Hulu reveal exclusive footage from “Whalefall”: the survival thriller with Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin comes to cinemas on October 16

Disney+ and Hulu have released exclusive footage and an extended scene from “Whalefall”, the survival thriller arriving in cinemas only on October 16, as ComingSoon.net reports. The new material was revealed on October 5, 2026, with the message: “To survive the unthinkable, he must do the impossible”.

The film is directed by Brian Duffield and produced by 20th Century Studios and Imagine Entertainment. Austin Abrams plays Jay Gardiner, the 17-year-old diver who travels to Monterey Bay to recover the remains of his father Mitt (Josh Brolin), who lost his life at sea. During a solo dive, Jay is accidentally swallowed by a 24-metre, 60-tonne sperm whale.

Duffield directs from a screenplay co-written with author Daniel Kraus, based on his 2023 novel. Jay is 154 metres underwater, with enough air for only one hour — every decision becomes a race against time. The memories of his father, a search-and-rescue diver, become his guide to forcing the whale to surface and expel him. The film treats the extreme premise as a survival thriller, not a monster movie.

The cast is completed by Elisabeth Shue as his mother Zara, John Ortiz, Jane Levy and Emily Rudd. “Whalefall” opens in cinemas only on October 16.