Josh Brolin Admits He Had Serious Doubts About Whalefall's Extreme Concept

Published Oct 14, 2026, 7:16 PM EDT

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One of the stars of Whalefall originally wondered whether the movie could ever work.

Directed by Brian Duffield, Whalefall is based on Daniel Kraus' 2023 novel of the same name. The movie follows Jay Gardiner (Abrams), a young scuba diver who goes into the ocean off the coast of California to recover the remains of his deceased father, Mitt (Josh Brolin). Unfortunately, his mission takes a terrifying turn when he is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. Trapped inside the creature with only an hour of oxygen remaining, Jay must find a way to escape while dealing with painful memories about his complicated relationship with his dad.

In an interview with IGN, Brolin opened up about his initial doubts surrounding Whalefall. The actor admitted that he wasn't sure how a movie that spends 80% of its story inside a whale could work and continue to captivate audiences. However, the actor is very happy with the results, especially with the praise it received from viewers who got to watch the film early. He also praised the upcoming survival thriller's story.

Brolin further elaborated, discussing Whalefall's extreme concept and the challenge of keeping viewers engaged when so much of the story unfolds in a single, unconventional location. The actor questioned how filmmakers could successfully adapt a story where the protagonist spends roughly 80% of the narrative trapped inside a whale.

Despite his initial concerns, Brolin made it very clear that he was happy with how the film turned out. He also praised the creative direction and Abrams' performance, making it clear that he believes the entire team successfully pulled off a challenging premise beautifully. He had several other positive things to say about Whalefall, stating that he was truly impressed with how the film tugged at viewers' heartstrings. Brolin added that people have even called him weeks after viewing the movie that they still couldn't stop thinking about it.

This this movie probably won't work 80% of it takes place inside of a whale you know what I mean? And then when you watch it and it works and you're so happy that there's this like invisible tentacle with the people that I've talked to that have seen it that just grabs them. it grabs their heart and it won't let go. So, I've had people that have seen it and call me three weeks later and say, "I still can't stop thinking about this movie," and then you realize that it's like so much deeper than that.

Brolin's statements about Whalefall are understandable given the movie's unusual setting. Unlike traditional survival thrillers that follow characters who are running away from and fighting the danger externally, Whalefall focuses on Jay's attempts to escape the interior of a whale. This presented a significant challenge for Duffield and his production team, who had to find ways to make the environment visually compelling while maintaining the tension throughout the story.

The upcoming thriller will be Brolin and Abrams' second collaboration together. The pair previously starred alongside each other in Zach Cregger's 2025 Academy Award-winning horror film Weapons. Brolin has consistently praised Abrams' performance in Whalefall in several interviews promoting the movie. Whalefall also features Elisabeth Shue (Zara Gardiner), John Ortiz (Hewey), Jane Levy (Eva Gardiner), and Emily Rudd (Nan Gardiner).