‘Resident Evil’ Star Austin Abrams’ Survival Thriller ‘Whalefall’ Pulled From 1,000 Theaters

Hot off the success of the new Resident Evil reboot, which has grossed nearly $400 million worldwide, star Austin Abrams appeared in another survival thriller almost immediately afterward. The new movie couldn’t match the success of the blockbuster video game adaptation. In fact, it has emerged as a major box-office underperformer despite pre-release buzz around its premise: a young diver gets swallowed alive by a sperm whale. The movie also features Josh Brolin, who is coming off the major box-office bomb The Dog Stars, directed by Ridley Scott. As the new film enters its third week of release, it has witnessed its (rather substantial) first drop in theater count.

The film, co-written and directed by Brian Duffield, debuted in more than 3,000 theaters. Produced on a reported budget of $60 million, it has so far generated a little more than $30 million at the global box office. While it’s on track to surpass the $39 million worldwide haul of The Dog Stars, the movie has only grossed roughly a tenth of Abrams’ Resident Evil reboot, directed by Zach Cregger. It has also fallen short of Resident Evil in terms of critical reception, despite having received mostly positive reviews.

The Survival Thriller Received Mostly Positive Reviews

We’re talking, of course, about Whalefall. The movie now holds a 73% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Unforgettably visceral whenever it isn't getting mired in flashbacks, Whalefall's freaky concept requires suspension of disbelief that is rewarded with some of the most unusual set pieces the survival thriller genre has to offer.” In 9/10 his review, Collider’s Charlie Ridgely described the movie as “terrifying, awe-inspiring, moving, a little sappy, unbelievably earnest, and wholly memorable.” Whalefall will enter its third week of release, having been removed from 1,000 theaters nationwide.