Warner Bros. picks up "Whales" script
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Movie studio Warner Bros. has picked up "Everybody Loves Whales", based on a true story about the 1988 rescue attempt of three whales in Alaska at a time of geopolitical change in the Soviet Union.
The script, by "Shaggy Dog" writers Jack Amiel and Michael Begler, tells the story of three California gray whales who were found trapped under the ice of the Arctic Circle in October 1988.
The subsequent rescue attempt became a huge global event as scores of journalists converged on the nearby Eskimo town of Barrow, Alaska, and the U.S. and Soviet governments enjoyed a rare moment of collaboration.
The two-week drama played out at a time of geopolitical change, with then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the midst of his glasnost initiative and then U.S. President Ronald Reagan preparing to leave office after his second term.
In addition to the rescue attempt, Amiel's and Begler's script centers on a love story between a nonprofit aid worker and a government worker.
The project is said to be a high priority for Warners, which hopes to turn it into a big family film. Environmental stories and causes are close to the heart of Warners CEO Alan Horn, who is a board member on the National Resources Defense Council.
Amiel and Begler have penned a slew of studio family films including "Raising Helen".
(Editing by Jill Serjeant)
