What is the movie Free Willy about?
Free Willy. Jump to navigation Jump to search. Free Willy is a 1993 American family drama film, directed by Simon Wincer, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend, and written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker. The film stars Jason James Richter as a foster boy who befriends a captive orca.
What are the reviews for Free Willy?
Critical response. The film has received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Free Willy currently holds a 58% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website, based on 24 reviews, indicating mixed reviews. The film on Metacritic has a 79 out of 100 rating.
How many units did the movie Free Willy sell?
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: Free Willy sold almost 9 million units on videocassette. [7] The Free Willy movie soundtrack was released on July 13, 1993 on CD and audio cassette by MJJ Music and LaFace Records in association with the Epic Records sub-label Epic Soundtrax. [9]
Did you cry during Free Willy?
Let's be honest: we all cried during Free Willy (I'm not crying, YOU are crying!). This 1993 classic film by Warner Brothers is about a good-at-heart, but spiritually lost, young boy named Jesse who unexpectedly befriends a killer whale, and the beautiful friendship that blossomed between the marine mammal and the boy.
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Is the whale from Free Willy still alive?
Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the “Free Willy” movies, has died in Norwegian coastal waters where he remained after millions of dollars and a decade of work failed to coax him back to the open sea, his caretakers said early Saturday.
Did Free Willy really jump the wall?
Did Keiko really jump over that wall? No, that leap over the wall in the movie Free Willy was done with special effects, and not with Keiko. The real life effort to bring Keiko back to his home waters was much more complicated than shown in the movie!
Did Keiko ever find his family?
For Keiko's millions of fans, it was the happy ending they had helped fund. Yet the effort had its detractors. Among them, there were “newspapers calling it a complete failure, because Keiko never found his family. Nobody considered the possibility that maybe his family had died during his capture.
When did the real Free Willy died?
December 2003The killer whale, whose real name was Keiko, died in December 2003, at about 26 years old. Despite efforts to integrate him with wild killer whales in Iceland towards the end of his life, he proved unable to interact with them or find food.
Was Keiko released into the wild?
In 1996, Warner Bros. and the International Marine Mammal Project collaborated to return Keiko to the wild. After years of preparing Keiko for reintegration, Keiko was flown to Iceland in 1998 and in 2002, became the first captive orca to be fully released back into the ocean.
Where is Keiko buried?
Keiko, the killer whale star of the "Free Willy" movies, was buried Monday in a snow-bound pasture during the deep darkness of Nordic winter in a ceremony kept secret from the public. "We wanted to let him be at peace," said Dane Richards, one of his caretakers. "He's free now and in the wild."
Did Keiko the whale ever hurt anyone?
It was the first known time a killer whale had ever killed a human being. “It was a tough time for all of us,” Baird said, referring to the Sealand trainers after Byrne's death.
Did Keiko Beach himself?
2003: After nearly a year and a half in Norway, on December 12, Keiko beaches himself and dies of a pneumonia-like condition.
What type of orca was Keiko?
orcinus orcaKeiko, a male orca (orcinus orca) originally captured in 1979 from a pod in Iceland, lived in Oregon for less than three years. During that time he became one of Oregon's best-known celebrities and a major attraction at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.
Are whales toxic to humans?
No, whales aren't typically dangerous. Actually for the most part whales are generally curious and friendly oceanic creatures.
Did Keiko the whale ever hurt anyone?
It was the first known time a killer whale had ever killed a human being. “It was a tough time for all of us,” Baird said, referring to the Sealand trainers after Byrne's death.
What happened to Hugo the killer whale?
Hugo died on March 4, 1980, after a brain aneurysm occurred from the whale repeatedly ramming his head into the side of the tank.
Who is Free Willy?
Free Willy (Picture: Warner Bros) He was the lovable killer whale who wouldn’t hurt a hair on Jesse’s head – the young boy who became enraptured by his deadly friend. But when adults and children alike started to learn of the conditions Keiko was living in, a multi-million dollar campaign was launched to rescue Keiko from his Mexican tank.
How long did Keiko live in Free Willy 3?
Keiko in Free Willy 3 – The Rescue with Jason James Richter (Picture: Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock) Keiko spent 11 years here, living in a rusty tank just 12-feet deep – a tiny area considering he alone measured 35ft long. He also ended up contracting papilloma virus, which produced wart-like patches on his skin.
Where is Keiko from Free Willy?
In 1996 he was moved to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon with the hope of releasing him back into the wild like his film character. Metro.co.uk: News, Sport, Showbiz, Celebrities from Metro.
Is Free Willy based on a true story?
Free Willy is based on a true story (Picture: Warner Bros) For many, Free Willy is the childhood story of a young boy who befriends a killer whale before heroically freeing him into the wild. But the real story behind the 1993 classic doesn’t have quite such a happy ending.
Who plays Jesse in Free Willy?
Jason James Richter is most famous for playing Jesse in classic family film Free Willy (Picture: Getty Images/Rex Features) Given Free Willy is showing today on Easter Monday, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to see what Jason James Richter , who plays little boy Jesse, is up to now.
Was Keiko trained before being sent back into the wild?
Keiko was trained before being sent back into the wild (Picture: Ingrid Visser/Splashdown/REX/Shutterstock) But Keiko was still relying on his human handlers, still being fed his hundreds of pounds of fish by them in order to stay alive.
What is the movie "Free Willy" about?
This 1993 classic film by Warner Brothers is about a good-at-heart, but spiritually lost, young boy named Jesse who unexpectedly befriends a killer whale, and the beautiful friendship that blossomed between the marine mammal and the boy.
Who is the actor in Free Willy?
This tear-jerker of a movie became an instant box-office smash hit in Hollywood, making the star of Free Willy, Jason James Richter ( Jesse), catapult to A-list status, and bringing awareness to captive orcas.
What is the Free Willy Keiko Foundation?
The Free Willy-Keiko Foundation was founded to spearhead Keiko's journey back with the other wild orcas, releasing Keiko in the wild just like his movie character "Willy".
Where did the star of Free Willy live?
After the smash hit came out, it became apparent to the public that the star of Free Willy was, actually, quite miserable - understandable, living in a small tank under poor conditions in Mexico City will do that.
Is Free Willy based on a true story?
The 1993 movie was based on a true story about an orca named Keiko, who was also the real-life killer whale star in Free Willy. Keiko was captured from the wild near Iceland in the year 1979 when he was only two-years-old, and like his on-screen portrayal, he was placed in marine exhibitions in aquatic theme parks and amusement parks.
Who is the actor in Free Willy?
Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker and distributed by Warner Bros. under their Family Entertainment imprint. The film stars Jason James Richter, in his film debut, as Jesse, ...
How much did Free Willy make?
It went on to make $76 million in its foreign release for a total of $153,698,625 worldwide . Upon its initial release, Free Willy ranked number 5 behind Hocus Pocus at the box office before moving to number 4 by the following weekend.
What is the story of the orphan boy?
The story is about an orphan boy who was ordered to clean up graffiti at an ailing amusement park as probation for vandalizing the observation area, and it was there that he befriended a captive orca until a dark secret revealed that the park's greedy owner plans to kill the whale for money.
What does Jesse tell Willy?
Jesse goes to the edge and tells Willy that if he makes the jump, it will be his highest, and he'll be free. Jesse says a tearful goodbye, but pulls himself together and goes back to the top. He recites a Haida prayer Randolph had taught him, before giving Willy a signal.
Why did Keiko not adapt to the wild?
A decade later in 2013, a New York Times video reviewed Keiko's release into the wild. Reasons cited for Keiko's failure to adapt include his early age at capture, the long history of captivity, prolonged lack of contact with other orcas, and strong bonds with humans.
Where did Keiko live in the movie?
Warner Bros. was so grateful for the whale, and so moved by the fan's ambition, they contributed to rehabilitate and (if possible) free Keiko. He was moved to The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Oregon by flying in a UPS C-130 cargo plane. In Oregon, he was returned to health with the hopes of being able to return to the wild. In 1998, Keiko was moved to Iceland via a US Air Force C-17 to learn to live in the wild. After working with handlers, he was released from a sea pen in the summer of 2002 and swam to Norway following a pod of wild orcas.
What happens to Willy in the first performance?
On the day of the first performance, Willy is antagonized by children banging constantly on his underwater observation area and refuses to perform. Jesse, unable to get Willy to do tricks while dealing with pressure from the crowd, storms off in tears and plans to run away to find his mom.
Overview
Free Willy is a 1993 American family drama film, directed by Simon Wincer, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend, written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures under their Family Entertainment imprint. The film stars Jason James Richter in his feature film debut, Lori Petty, Jayne Atkinson, August Schel…
Plot
Near the coastline of the Pacific Northwest, a pod of killer whales are peacefully swimming. The pod is tracked down by a group of whalers. One of them has a distinguishable set of three spots. The orca gets trapped and sent to the Northwest Adventure Park while his family is unable to help.
Months later in Portland, Oregon, Jesse, a troubled 12-year-old abandoned by his estranged mother six years earlier, fled from Cooperton until police catch him and fellow runaway Perry, wh…
Cast
• Jason James Richter as Jesse, a 12-year old orphan
• Lori Petty as Rae Lindley, Northwest Adventure Park trainer and Willy's veterinarian
• Jayne Atkinson as Annie Greenwood, a teacher, Jesse's foster mom, and Glen's wife
Production
Most close-up shots involving limited movement by Willy, such as when Willy is in the trailer and the sequences involving Willy swimming in the open water, make use of an animatronic stand-in. Walt Conti, who supervised the effects for the orcas, estimated that half of the shots of the orca used animatronic stand-ins. Conti stated that the smaller movements of a real orca actually made things difficult in some ways for him and his crew; they had to concentrate on smaller nuances i…
Release
The film was released alongside Hocus Pocus on July 16, 1993 and grossed $7,868,829 domestically in its opening weekend. It went on to make $76 million in its foreign release and $11,181 from the 2021 re-release in some domestic markets, bringing the film's gross to $153,709,806. Upon its initial release, Free Willy ranked number 5 behind the latter film, Jurassic Park, In the Line of Fire and The Firm at the box office before moving to number 4 by the followin…
Keiko
The aquatic star of the film was an orca named Keiko. The huge national and international success of this film inspired a letter writing campaign to get Keiko released from his captivity as an attraction in the amusement park Reino Aventura in Mexico City; this movement was called "Free Keiko". Warner Bros. was so grateful for the whale, and so moved by the fan's ambition, they contributed to rehabilitate and (if possible) free Keiko. He was moved to The Oregon Coast Aqua…
See also
• Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
• Free Willy 3: The Rescue
• Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove
External links
• Official Warner Bros. Site
• Free Willy at IMDb
• Free Willy at Rotten Tomatoes
• Free Willy at Metacritic
• Free Willy at Box Office Mojo