Free Willy (franchise)

Last updated
Free Willy
Created by Keith A. Walker
Original work Free Willy
Owner Warner Bros. Pictures
Years1993–2010
Films and television
Film(s)
Animated series Free Willy (1994–95)
Direct-to-video Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove (2010)
Audio
Soundtrack(s)
  • Free Willy (1993)
  • Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)
  • Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997)

Free Willy is a media franchise from Warner Bros. that started with the 1993 film Free Willy that went on to become a sleeper hit at the box office. The original series primarily follows a street kid named Jesse who befriends an orca named Willy and eventually develops a strong connection. While trying to juggle his newly found life, he and Willy are challenged with overcoming or defeating various hazards to the ocean or Willy himself including corporate greed, hunters, poachers, and oil disasters.

Contents

Following the success of Free Willy, it was followed by an animated series, two sequels, and a direct-to-video reboot.

Films

FilmU.S. release dateDirector(s)Screenwriter(s)Story byProducer(s)
Free Willy June 11, 1993 Simon Wincer Keith A. Walker & Corey BlechmanKeith A. Walker Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home July 19, 1995 Dwight Little Karen Janszen, Corey Blechman and John Mattson
Free Willy 3: The Rescue August 7, 1997 Sam Pillsbury John MattsonJennie Lew Tugend
Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove March 23, 2010Will GeigerCindy McCreeryDavid Wicht, John Stainton, Laura Lodin

Free Willy (1993)

A delinquent orphan named Jesse is forced to clean up graffiti at the Northwest Adventure Park as part of his probation while staying with new foster parents. There, he becomes attached to a captive killer whale, the film's eponymous "Willy", until he discovers a secret from the park's greedy owner that threatens their friendship.

Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)

Two years after setting him free, Jesse reunites with Willy during a camping trip in the San Juan Islands with the Greenwoods and newly-discovered half-brother named Elvis as the teenager tries to help Willy and his siblings Luna and Littlespot return to their mother Catspaw after an oil spill separated them in addition to endangering Luna.

Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997)

Jesse now works with his old friend Randolph at an orca institute where he tracks down Willy and his mate Nicky, and also teams up with Max to stop the latter's father from hunting the whales.

Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove (2010)

Kirra discovers a baby killer whale washed ashore in the lagoon near her grandfather's rundown seaside amusement park in South Africa. She names the orca Willy and embarks on a quest to lead him back to his pod before he's sold.

Television

Free Willy (1994–1995)

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 13October 1, 1994 (1994-10-01)December 24, 1994 (1994-12-24)
2 8January 7, 1995 (1995-01-07)February 25, 1995 (1995-02-25)

Cast and crew

Cast

List indicator(s)

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.

  • An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
  •  U indicates an uncredited appearance.
  •  V indicates a voice-only role.
CharactersOriginal seriesAnimated seriesReboot
Free Willy Free Willy 2:
The Adventure Home
Free Willy 3:
The Rescue
Free Willy Free Willy:
Escape from Pirate's Cove
Season 1Season 2
Jesse Jason James Richter Zachary Bennett V
Willy Keiko Keiko U Paul Haddad V CGI Orca
Rae Lindley Lori Petty
Annie Greenwood Jayne Atkinson Sheila McCarthy V
Randolph Johnson August Schellenberg Michael Fletcher V
Glen Greenwood Michael Madsen Ron Len V
Dial Michael Ironside
Wade Richard Riehle
Dwight Mercer Mykelti Williamson
Perry Michael Bacall
Gwenie Danielle Harris
John Milner Jon Tenney
Kate Haley Elizabeth Peña
Elvis Francis Capra
Nadine Mary Kate Schellhardt
Wilcox M. Emmet Walsh
Captain Nilson Steve Kahan
Commander Blake John Considine
Drew Halbert Annie Corley
Max WesleyVincent Berry
John Wesley Patrick Kilpatrick
Kron Ian Tracey
1st Mate SandersonPeter LaCroix
Captain Drake Matthew Walker
DineenStephen E. Miller
Mary WesleyTasha Simms
Rockland Stone
The Machine
Gary Krawford V
MarleneRachel Crawford V
P.R. Frickley Andrew Sabiston V
Mr. Naugle Neil Crone V
Lucille Alyson Court V
AmphonoidsJames Kidnie V
Kirra Cooper Bindi Irwin
Gus Grisby Beau Bridges
Mansa Bongolethu Mbutuma
SifisoSiyabuela Ramba
Rolf V.D. WoodsStephen Jennings
BlikkieMatthew Roberts
JayceHeima Jaffa
Dr. Sam CooperKevin Otto
DiffLouw Venter

Crew

FilmCrew/Detail
Composer(s)CinematographerEditor(s)Production
companies
Distributing
companies
Free Willy Basil Poledouris Robbie Greenberg O. Nicholas Brown Le Studio Canal+
Regency Enterprises
Alcor Films
Donner/Shuler-Donner
Warner Bros.
Free Willy 2:
The Adventure Home
László Kovács Robert Brown
Dallas Puett
Le Studio Canal+
Regency Enterprises
Alcor Films
Shuler-Donner/Donner
Free Willy 3:
The Rescue
Cliff Eidelman Tobias A. Schliessler Margaret GoodspeedRegency Enterprises
Shuler Donner/Donner
Free Willy:
Escape from Pirate's Cove
Enis RotthoffRobert MalpageSabrina PliscoApolloMovie Beteiligungs
Film Africa Worldwide
Warner Premiere

Reception

Box office performance

FilmRelease dateBox office revenueBudgetRef.
North AmericaOther
territories
Worldwide
Free Willy July 16, 1993$77,709,806$76,000,000$153,709,806$20,000,000 [1]
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home July 19, 1995$30,077,111$30,077,111$31,000,000 [2]
Free Willy 3: The Rescue August 8, 1997$3,446,539$3,446,539 [3]
Total$111,222,275$76,000,000$187,222,275$51,000,000

Critical and public response

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore [4]
Free Willy 71% (31 reviews) [5] 79 (14 reviews) [6] A
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home 50% (26 reviews) [7] A-
Free Willy 3: The Rescue 44% (16 reviews) [8] B+
Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keiko (orca)</span> Male orca (1976–2003)

Keiko was a male orca captured in the Atlantic Ocean near Iceland in 1979. He portrayed Willy in the 1993 film Free Willy. In 1996, Warner Bros. and the International Marine Mammal Project collaborated to return Keiko to the wild. After years of preparing Keiko for reintegration, Keiko was flown to Iceland in 1998 and in 2002, became the first captive orca to be fully released back into the ocean. On 12 December 2003, he died of pneumonia in a bay in Norway at the age of 27.

<i>Free Willy</i> 1993 family drama film

Free Willy is a 1993 American family drama film, directed by Simon Wincer, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend, written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures under their Family Entertainment imprint. The film stars Jason James Richter in his film debut, Lori Petty, Jayne Atkinson, August Schellenberg, and Michael Madsen with the eponymous character, Willy, played by Keiko. The story is about an orphaned boy who befriends a captive orca, Willy, at an ailing amusement park. When he discovers that the park owners plan to dispose of Willy, he hatches a scheme to break him out of captivity.

Jason James Richter is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his role in the Free Willy film series as Jesse, the boy who befriends Willy the orca.

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Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home is a 1995 American family adventure drama film directed by Dwight Little from a screenplay by Karen Janszen, Corey Blechman and John Mattson. It is the sequel to the 1993 film Free Willy and second installment in the Free Willy film series distributed by Warner Bros. under their Warner Bros. Family Entertainment label. Jason James Richter, Jayne Atkinson, August Schellenberg, Michael Madsen and Mykelti Williamson reprise their roles from the first film. New cast members include Jon Tenney and Elizabeth Peña. Unlike the previous film where Keiko played Willy, a robotic double created by Edge Innovations was used to play the eponymous whale while the Free Willy Keiko Foundation devised a plan to bring Keiko to the Oregon Coast Aquarium where he would be rehabilitated from poor health. However, Keiko did make an uncredited appearance, reprising his role as Willy through an archival clip shown in the movie. The plot, taking place two years after Jesse freed his orca friend Willy whose now reunited with his family which includes sister Luna, brother Littlespot and mother Catspaw, follows Jesse in a race against time after an oil spill separated Willy and his siblings from their mother and it's up to him to get them back home before the oil traps them in the cove for good.

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Free Willy 3: The Rescue is a 1997 American family film directed by Sam Pillsbury and written by John Mattson. Released by Warner Bros. under their Warner Bros. Family Entertainment banner, it is the sequel to Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home in addition to being the third film in the Free Willy franchise and final installment of the original storyline as well as the last to be released theatrically. Jason James Richter and August Schellenberg reprise their roles from the previous films while Annie Corley, Vincent Berry and Patrick Kilpatrick joined the cast. The story revolves around Jesse and Randolph attempting to stop a group of whalers, led by its ruthless captain, from illegally hunting Willy while secretly receiving help from an unlikely source involving the captain's young son after an accident changed his view on whales.

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References

  1. "Free Willy (1993)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  2. "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  3. "Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  4. "CinemaScore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  5. "Free Willy". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  6. "Free Willy". Metacritic . Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  7. "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  8. "Free Willy 3: The Rescue". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 12, 2020.