A reimagining of the classic ’90s family adventure ‘Free Willy’ is in the works with a screenplay by Mary-Margaret Kunze and Jade Halley Bartlett. The project marks the continuation of the beloved franchise, bringing in new creative voices to update the story for today’s audiences.According to THR, the production is headed by a production company founded by filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo; this project marks their latest venture into family-oriented storytelling. The creative team tapped Kunze and Bartlett, known for their work on films including ‘Miller’s Girl’ and ‘Icebreaker,’ to bring their sensibilities to the reimagined story.
Cultural impact and legacy of the original film
The first ‘Free Willy’ movie, released in 1993, proved to be a worldwide sensation about an orphaned boy who befriends a captive orca. It made a worldwide gross of $153.7 million on a $20 million budget, proving that the concept was commercially viable. The film’s iconic theme song reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and achieved platinum status, extending the franchise’s cultural reach beyond the cinema.
The reimagining aims to honor the film’s original legacy while introducing its timeless story to today’s audiences. Image credit (X).
‘Free Willy’ spawned several theatrical sequels, an animated television series, and direct-to-video sequels. The original film, starring an orca named Keiko, also achieved broader cultural significance by dispelling myths about killer whales and inspiring activism on animal captivity issues.
Screenwriters’ credentials and track record
Kunze and Bartlett are creative partners operating under the production banner. In 2024, Bartlett made his directorial debut with a film he also wrote and directed, with Kunze producing. The screenplay, which Bartlett adapted from his original play, was featured on an industry screenwriting list in 2016, and Bartlett himself made the list in 2017 with another script. Most recently, he created a streaming series based on a novel by Hannah Grace.