Josh Brolin In Talks To Join Euphoria Star’s Survival Thriller About A Man Trapped After Being Swallowed By A Whale

Josh Brolin is gearing up to return to the survival thriller genre with Whalefall. Based on the novel of the same name penned by Daniel Kraus, who is also co-writing the adaptation, the story centers on Jay, a young scuba diver who, while searching for his ᴅᴇᴀᴅ father’s remains, becomes trapped inside an 80-foot, 60-ton sperm whale with only one hour of oxygen remaining. Euphoria alum Austin Abrams is set to lead the film with No One Will Save You‘s Brian Duffield co-writing and directing.

ᴅᴇᴀᴅline has brought word that Brolin is currently in talks to join Whalefall‘s cast, which is currently being led by Euphoria star Austin Abrams. It’s not currently known who the Oscar nominee is in negotiations to play, as Abrams is expected to be portraying the scuba diver lead character. In addition to co-writing and directing, Duffield is set to produce the film alongside Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, Jeb Brody and Allan Mandelbaum.

What Brolin’s Casting Means For Whalefall

There’s One Clear Role For The Oscar Nominee

Josh Brolin has an intense exchange with Denzel Washington in a scene from American Gangster

While his casting may yet to be confirmed, Brolin being eyed for Whalefall likely points to him playing Abrams’ father in the film. The main thrust of the novel does largely explore Jay’s efforts to survive after being swallowed by the whale, but his father, Mitt, remains a major presence. The two have a very tragic backstory that gives Jay a complicated mentality going into searching for his father’s remains, while he also continually hears his father’s disembodied voice seemingly coming from the whale itself.

Should he indeed finalize his deal, Whalefall will also mark Brolin’s first return to the survival thriller genre after nearly a decade. His filmography is largely comprised of psychological dramas and action hits, but 2015 saw him make his survival thriller debut with the true-story-inspired Everest, which recently saw a surge in popularity on streaming, while 2017 saw him star in the similarly true-story-inspired Only the Brave.

Brolin’s casting would also mark an interesting reunion for the star with Abrams after the two previously starred in Zach Cregger’s horror epic Weapons, which recently got a major release update as it was pushed up by five months. While it’s unknown if the two shared any scenes together in the film, their experience with each other on that set could have given a foundation for the two to further build going into Whalefall.

Our Take On Brolin Joining Whalefall

He’ll Bring The Right Gravitas To The Role

Gurney (Josh Brolin) smiling while standing in the desert in Dune: Part Two

For those familiar with Kraus’ source material, Mitt’s a character who will need to be handled deftly, both from the written and acting sides, and Brolin would go a long way to doing so in Whalefall. The star is undeniably great at unlocking the various layers of nuance for his roles, be they antagonistic or benevolent, which is sure to translate into a gripping performance in Duffield’s film.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline