2026 is already a year for the books when it comes to new movies. Not only are audiences finally getting a new Steven Spielberg sci-fi movie after eight years, but major franchises are returning after decades of waiting. This year has also delivered one of the most successful horror movies of all time in Obsession, and the highly anticipated adaptation of Project Hail Mary. The year isn’t even half over either, so we’re not even accounting for the new Spider-Man movie, Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Chapter 3, and whatever other surprises are yet to come that no one can predict.
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That said, 20th Century Studios may have just revealed another major surprise for the year, with what seems poised to be the wildest thriller of the entire year. With the first trailer for Whalefall, the new movie from director Brian Duffield and starring Weapons‘ Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin, the studio has shown off a terrifying encounter that no one would ever think should be the primary fear in the ocean. As noted in the official description of the trailer, the odds of being swallowed alive by a whale are not zero, and it looks terrifying.
Whalefall Trailer Unlocks a New Fear For All Swimmers
Based on the novel by Daniel Kraus, who co-wrote the screenplay with Duffield, Whalefall has a simple premise, telling a survival thriller about a young man literally caught in the mouth of a whale while scuba diving, fighting to survive inside its stomach as the legendary animal sinks to great depths.
As noted in the official plot description, Whalefall follows Jay Gardiner (Abrams) who goes diving off the central Coast of California in search of his father’s remains (Brolin), only to be swallowed by a sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape.
Fans wondering how Whalefall can possibly sustain a plot this distinct for its entire runtime should know there are plenty of surprises up its sleeve. Kraus’ novel shifts back and forth between Jay being trapped in the whale (and all the problems that come with that) and reminiscing about his life on the surface and everything that led him to this moment. As you can imagine, being trapped inside a whale isn’t a chill experience, and it’s made worse not only by the ticking clock of Jay’s oxygen in his tank but also by the factthat he’s not alone inside the many stomachs.
Anyone who has seen Brian Duffield’s other movies, the hilarious horror comedy Spontaneous and Hulu’s silent alien thriller No One Will Save You, should know that he’s a filmmaker to keep your eye on. Pairing that with the high-concept at the core of Whalefall means this one is shaping up to continue the trend of surprising movies in 2026. On top of that, the film will arrive just weeks after Abrams stars in Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil, meaning the Weapons actor is set to have a wild fall season with two huge and terrifying movies featuring him at the center.
Whalefall opens October 16.
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