Ron Howard is almost finished crewing up his next film, an adaptation of Nathaniel Philbrick’s book about true-life tragedy In The Heart Of The Sea. But we don’t mean he’s locked in a gaffer or focus-puller: he’s found able acting seamen for the crew in front of the camera, and Cillian Murphy has jumped aboard.
**In The Heart Of The Sea **follows the harrowing real-life struggle endured by the men aboard Nantucket whaling ship the Essex, which was destroyed by a vengeful sperm whale in 1820.
Stranded in a lifeboat thousands of miles from home, 20 of the surviving crew (the survivors included the captain and first officer) at first planned to make for an isolated tropical island but the idea was rejected because of rumours of flesh-eating savages. The resulting delay in their rescue led to them becoming cannibals to survive. Irony, thy taste is salty and not unlike chicken.
Murphy will be Matthew Joy, second mate under Captain Pollard (Benjamin Walker) and first mate Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth). The Impossible’s Tom Holland is also part of the ship’s company. Howard will begin throwing buckets of water at his cast this September in London.
Before that, Murphy is busy working with Wally Pfister on the cinematographer’s directorial debut, Transcendence.