Free Willy (film series)
| Free Willy film series | |
|---|---|
| Directed by |
Simon Wincer (first film) Dwight H. Little (second film) Sam Pillsbury (third film) Will Geiger (fourth film) |
| Produced by | Lauren Shuler Donner |
| Written by |
Keith A. Walker (1) Corey Blechman (1-2) Karen Janszen (2) John Mattson (2-3) Will Geiger (4) |
| Music by |
Basil Poledouris Cliff Eidelman Enis Rotthoff |
Production company | |
| Distributed by |
Warner Bros. (1993-1997) Warner Premiere (2010) |
Release dates |
1993 (Free Willy) 1995 (Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home) 1997 (Free Willy 3: The Rescue) 2010 (Free Willy: Escape From Pirate's Cove) |
Running time | over 6.5 hours total (as of 2010) |
| Country |
United States South Africa |
| Language | English |
| Box office |
$153,698,625 (1) [1] |
Free Willy is a series of family films from Warner Bros. The first installment, Free Willy, was released on July 16, 1993, the second, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, was released on July 19, 1995, and the third film, Free Willy 3: The Rescue, was released on August 8, 1997; these first three films were produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and distributed by Warner Bros.
The fourth installment, Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove (released March 2010), was directed by Will Geiger and distributed by Warner Premiere. It was a reboot of the original series and is in no way connected to the previous films.
Films
Free Willy
Free Willy is a 1993 American family drama film released by Warner Bros under its Family Entertainment label. The film stars Jason James Richter as a delinquent boy who becomes attached to a captive killer whale, the film's eponymous "Willy." Directed by Simon Wincer, it was shot mainly in Mexico City and Portland, Oregon.
Followed by three sequels Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Free Willy 3: The Rescue, and Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove, and a short-lived animated television series, Free Willy was a financial success, eventually making a star of its protagonist, Keiko. The film's famous climax has been spoofed several times in popular culture.
Michael Jackson produced and performed "Will You Be There", the theme for the film, which can be heard during the film's credits. The song won the MTV Movie Award for "Best Song in a Movie" in 1994 and was also included in the album All Time Greatest Movie Songs, released by Sony in 1999. Jackson also performed songs for the film's first sequel.
The Adventure Home
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home is a 1995 family film, directed Dwight H. Little, and released by Warner Bros under its Family Entertainment banner. It is a sequel to the 1993 film, also starring Jason James Richter and August Schellenberg.
The film has protagonist Jesse (Jason James Richter) reunite with Willy three years after the whale's jump to freedom, as the teenager tries to rescue killer whales from an oil spill.
Free Willy 3: The Rescue was subsequently released in 1997, making a trilogy. Keiko does not actually appear in this film, unlike the original movie. Willy is played by a robotic double, while the Free Willy Keiko Foundation devised a plan to bring him to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, where he would be rehabilitated for poor health. Michael Jackson returned to perform the film's songs contributing the theme song "Childhood", which can be heard during the film's credits.
The Rescue
Free Willy 3: The Rescue is a 1997 family film directed by Sam Pillsbury, and starring Jason James Richter and August Schellenberg. Released by Warner Bros under its Family Entertainment banner, the film is the second sequel to the 1993 Free Willy. The film is also the last with Keiko before he died of pneumonia in 2003.
The film features a teenaged Jesse (Richter) and old friend Randolph trying to foil an illegal whaler threatening Willy and his pregnant mate.
Escape From Pirate's Cove
Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove, the final film of the series and a remake of the original, was directed by Will Geiger. The first feature from the Free Willy film franchise for 13 years, this film stars Bindi Irwin as Kirra, who discovers a baby killer whale stranded in the lagoon near her grandfather's rundown seaside amusement park. She embarks on a quest to lead Willy back to his pod.
Cast and characters
| Characters | Films | Animated series | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Willy (1993) |
The Adventure Home (1995) |
The Rescue (1997) |
Escape from Pirates Cove (2010) |
Free Willy (1994) | |
| Jesse Greenwood | Jason James Richter | Zachary Bennett | |||
| Willy | Keiko | Animatronic Orca Keiko |
CGI Orca | Paul Haddad | |
| Randolph Johnson | August Schellenberg | Michael Fletcher | |||
| Glen Greenwood | Michael Madsen | Ron Len | |||
| Annie Greenwood | Jayne Atkinson | Sheila McCarthy | |||
| Dwight Mercer | Mykelti Williamson | ||||
| Rae Lindey | Lori Petty | ||||
| Dial | Michael Ironside | ||||
| Wade | Richard Riehle | ||||
| Elvis Greenwood | Francis Capra | ||||
| John Milner | Jon Tenney | ||||
| Nadine | Mary Kate Schellhardt | ||||
| Dr. Kate Haley | Elizabeth Peña | ||||
| Drew Halbert | Annie Corley | ||||
| Max Wesley | Vincent Berry | ||||
| John Wesley | Patrick Kilpatrick | ||||
| Mary Wesley | Tasha Simms | ||||
| Kirra Cooper | Bindi Irwin | ||||
| Gus Grisby | Beau Bridges | ||||
| Rolf Woods | Stephen Jennings | ||||
| Dr. Sam Cooper | Kevin Otto | ||||
| Sifiso | Siyabuela Ramba | ||||
Reception
Public and critical response
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Free Willy | 57% (23 reviews)[2] | 79 (14 reviews)[3] |
| Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home | 36% (14 reviews)[4] | - |
| Free Willy 3: The Rescue | 44% (16 reviews)[5] | - |
| Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove | 33% (3 reviews)[6] | - |
| Average ratings | 43% | 19.75% |
References
- ↑ "Free Willy". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
- ↑ "Free Willy". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Free Willy". Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Free Willy 3: The Rescue". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Free Willy 4: Escape From Pirate's Cove".
External links
- Free Willy at the Internet Movie Database
- The Adventure Home at the Internet Movie Database
- The Rescue at the Internet Movie Database
- Escape From Pirate's Cove at the Internet Movie Database