THE WHALE – Opening next Friday, September 23rd

Set on the rugged western coast of Vancouver Island and narrated by Ryan Reynolds, THE WHALE describes what happens when Luna, a baby orca, gets separated from his family and unexpectedly starts making contact with people along a scenic fjord called Nootka Sound. Because orcas are highly social beings who spend their lives traveling with their pods, Luna attempts to find a surrogate family among the area residents, much to their delight. But as word spreads about Luna, people become torn between their love for the lonely young whale and fears that human contact might harm him.

Luna’s life is seen through the eyes of the colorful characters who who fall in love with the whale – a cook on an old freighter who can hardly breathe when Luna looks her in the eye, a fisheries officer conflicted by what he thinks Luna needs and what he is told to do, a grandmother who is arrested for petting Luna, and a Native American elder whose tribe believes Luna is the reincarnation of a chief. Even the filmmakers, who come to the Sound on assignment for Smithsonian magazine, find themselves swept up in the saga of the little whale’s eager pursuit of contact, becoming passionately immersed in the story they were sent just to cover.

As Luna’s determination and charm change human lives all around him and make the unexpected the norm on Nootka Sound, the film becomes an unforgettable narrative about the mysteries, the dangers — and the promise — of friendship across forbidden boundaries.

Directed by: MichaelParfit and Suzanne Chisholm
Executive Produced by: Ryan Reynolds, Scarlett Johansson, and Eric Desatnik
Release Date: September 23, 2011 (NY); September 30, 2011 (LA)
Theatrical Distributor:Paladin
Running Time: 85 minutes
Rating: “G” by the MPAA
Website:http://www.thewhalemovie.com/
Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/thewhalemovie