Austin Abrams Swallowed by Whale in Whalefall Trailer

Whalefall follows scuba diver Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) after he is swallowed by a sperm whale and must fight for survival in a scenario that recalls 127 Hours. The film adapts Daniel Kraus’s 2023 novel, with Kraus co-writing the screenplay alongside director Brian Duffield.

The trailer unfolds like a single, self-contained scene rather than a traditional montage, quickly setting up Jay’s survivalist upbringing under his father, played by Josh Brolin. The teaser shows Jay narrowly avoiding a collision with a massive sperm whale before his leg becomes entangled in seaweed and he is pulled into the creature’s tooth-lined mouth.

With limited air, he has roughly an hour to figure out how to escape. The cast also includes Josh Ortiz, Jane Levy, Emily Rudd and Elisabeth Shue as Jay’s mother, Zara. Austin Abrams, who drew attention for his role in the 2025 horror film Weapons opposite Brolin, leads the new thriller.

whalefall, austin abrams, sperm whale, jay gardiner, brian duffield, daniel kraus, josh brolin, trailer, 127 hours, survival thriller