Avengers: Doomsday Directors to Resurrect Save Willy
The Russo brothers are preparing a remake of the 1990s family classic about cinema’s most famous orca.
Goodbye Thanos, goodbye Doctor Doom… Hello Willy!
After Marvel superheroes, brothers Anthony and Joe Russo radically change their universe. The directors ofAvengers: Doomsday develop for Warner Bros. a new version of Save Willythe great family classic released in 1993.
According to The Hollywood Reporterthe project is still in its early stages. It will not be a copy-and-paste remake but a “reinvention” of the original film, produced by their company AGBO, without a director having yet been chosen.
The screenplay will be written by Mary-Margaret Kunze and Jade Halley Bartlett. The first knows the Marvel universe well, since she notably worked as a producer on the series Daredevil, Cloak & Dagger And Runawayswhile the second wrote the screenplay for Miller’s Girl.
Directed by Simon Wincer at the time, Save Willy told the story of Jesse, a young orphan who befriends an orca held captive in a water park. Determined to save the animal from certain death, he did everything possible to restore its freedom. The film was a huge success upon its release, grossing more than $153 million at the worldwide box office. Its triumph gave birth to several sequels as well as a spin-off television series. A first attempt at relaunch had already seen the light of day in 2010 with Save Willy 4: The Pirate Lairwithout managing to regain the popularity of the original.
This new version will be produced by Angela Russo-Otstot, Michael Disco and Kassee Whiting, while Anthony and Joe Russo will serve as executive producers. Lauren Shuler Donner, already involved in the 1993 film, will also participate in this new adaptation.
No release date has yet been announced for Willy’s return to the big screen.
