Witness the true story that inspired Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" when In the Heart of the Sea arrives on March 8th via 2D and 3D Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD combo packs. The film is directed by Ron Howard and stars Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Ben Whishaw, Charlotte Riley, Brendan Gleeson and Michelle Fairley.
Synopsis: In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story.
In the Heart of the Sea reveals the encounter's harrowing aftermath, as the ship's surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive. Braving storms, starvation, panic and despair, the men will call into question their deepest beliefs, from the value of their lives to the morality of their trade, as their captain searches for direction on the open sea and his first mate still seeks to bring the great whale down.
The film stars Chris Hemsworth as Owen Chase, the veteran first mate of the New England whaling ship, the Essex; Benjamin Walker as its inexperienced Captain, George Pollard; Cillian Murphy as second mate Matthew Joy; and Ben Whishaw as novelist Herman Melville, whose inquiries into the event 30 years later helped bring the story to light. Tom Holland also stars as young seaman Tom Nickerson, and Brendan Gleeson as the same man, 30 years later. Spanish actor Jordi Mollà is the captain of another ship, the Archimedes, who tries to warn the Essex of what may lie ahead.
Howard directed the film from a screenplay by Charles Leavitt (Blood Diamond) and story by Charles Leavitt and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), based on the book "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex" by Nathaniel Philbrick, winner of the 2000 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
In the Heart of the Sea is presented in 1080p with Dolby Atmos surround. Special features on both the 2D and 3D Blu-ray edition of the film include:
Whale Tales: Melville's Untold Story
The Hard Life of a Whaler
Chase & Pollard: A Man of Means and A Man of Courage
LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE: The Real-Life Sequel to Moby Dick