Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

The Fast & Furious star still has to return to the high-octane franchise, but has multiple projects in the works.

There are a lot of highly anticipated movies arriving this year, but one of the most unexpectedly exciting might involve a giant whale and a nightmare scenario that feels impossible to look away from. The first trailer for Whalefall has finally arrived, and it delivers exactly the kind of intense, nerve-rattling spectacle that instantly grabs your attention. Based on the 2023 novel by Daniel Kraus , the film is co-written and directed by Brian Duffield , and it stars Austin Abrams as a young man searching for the remains of his father, played by Josh Brolin . What starts as a deeply personal journey quickly turns into something far more terrifying when he finds himself swallowed whole by a massive sperm whale! The trailer does an excellent job of selling the film's central hook. Instead of teasing the audience with quick glimpses and holding back the big moment, it leans directly into it. Much of the footage unfolds as one continuous sequence, placing viewers right alongside Abrams as the horrifying situation escalates into comple horror. The footage is packed with tension, dread, and a sense of claustrophobic panic as the impossible becomes reality. The concept itself feels like a darker, more intense version of Pinocchio, only without any of the fairy tale whimsy. Instead, it looks like a desperate fight for survival inside one of the largest creatures on Earth. The project also feels like a natural evolution for Duffield, who previously directed the excellent and often overlooked genre films Spontaneous and No One Will Save You . While both showcased his ability to deliver fresh, inventive storytelling, Whalefall appears to be operating on an entirely different scale. This is Duffield's biggest movie yet. Not only is he tackling a story centered around an enormous whale, but this is also a major theatrical release from Disney after his previous film debuted directly on Hulu. If the finished movie can match the intensity and emotional punch of this trailer, it could end up becoming one of the year's biggest surprise hits. Earlier this year, Disney screened footage from the film during CinemaCon in Las Vegas, which is where I first saw the trailer, and the response was impressive. Once the excitement surrounding the first look at Avengers: Doomsday settled down, Whalefall became one of the most talked-about films coming out of the event. It's easy to understand why. The story is terrifying and it sparks curiosity and horror at the same time, making it difficult not to wonder how this story ultimately plays out. Joining Abrams and Brolin in the cast are Elisabeth Shue and John Ortiz . Whalefall has climbed the list of must-see movies of the year. It looks intense, emotional, and completely bonkers. Whalefall swims into theaters on October 16.

Loki actor Tom Hiddleston narrates a new National Geographic/Disney+ series about Pompeii titled Pompeii: Out of Time.

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