Free Willy
Free Willy is a 1993 American family drama film, directed by Simon Wincer, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend, written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures under their Family Entertainment imprint. The film stars Jason James Richter in his film debut, Lori Petty, Jayne Atkinson, August Schellenberg, and Michael Madsen with the eponymous character, Willy, played by Keiko.
| Free Willy | |
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| Directed by | Simon Wincer |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Keith A. Walker |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Robbie Greenberg |
| Edited by | O. Nicholas Brown |
| Music by | Basil Poledouris |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Box office | $153.7 million |
The story is about a 12 year old orphaned boy named Jesse who befriends a captive orca, Willy, at an ailing amusement park. When he discovers that the park owner has been planning to dispose of Willy, he hatches a scheme to break Willy out of captivity.
Released on July 16, 1993, the film received positive attention from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $153.7 million from a $20 million budget. It grew into a small franchise, including an animated television series, two sequels, and a direct-to-video reboot in addition to inspiring the rehabilitation and release of Keiko. The film marked Keith A. Walker's only film as screenwriter, and last project before his death in late December 1996.