There are some strong messages at play in Ken Kwapis’ Big Miracle. The film tells the story of a family of whales that is trapped under a patch of Alaskan ice and is unable to make it out into open water. There are, of course, comments on environmentalism, but also the media, oil drilling, political/military action and the importance of respecting cultural differences. With that much at play there is a substantial risk of becoming overly preachy, but as stars Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski recently explained in an interview, the key is to speak from the heart and hide the agenda.

I was recently invited to participate in a roundtable interview with the two stars of Big Miracle in which they spilled their guts about filming their new movie. Check out the interview below in which they discuss the film’s messages as well as what it was like working with Ken Kwapis on such a different project, the true story that the movie is based on, and what they enjoyed about working together.

Were you guys aware of the story the film is based on before the script came together? Was it news to you or do you remember hearing it?

John Krasinski: I remember hearing about it. I remember definitely knowing something about it, probably was too young to be at all involved in it and wasn’t necessarily the most current events guy at age whatever-I-was…nine, I guess? Ten? But no, I mean, when you read the script I remember I read the script and I thought it was really great, I thought it was really sweet. My concern was that it was like, I said to Ken [Kwapis], “Yeah, it’s really good, but we have to cut back a little bit of this stuff. Some of this stuff is a little unbelievable.” And he’s like, “Nah, it’s all true.” And I was like, “Alright, Ken. I don’t know how long you’ve been in Hollywood, but none of this is real.” And he was like, “No, these people got married and…

What part seemed the most unbelievable to you?

JK: I think that the press secretary and the national guard pilot falling in love and getting married after being so adversarial on the phone is insane. That is insane! And then when you see the picture at the end of the movie it’s so moving. I think it’s just a great, great movie, especially at this point in time to believe in the power of unity and getting together for a cause or really for anything, especially with social media. I think this is the time where not only can you have a voice, but your voice can be the catalyst for something massive.

Ted Danson was talking about while you were shooting Shell was trying to drill, did you get at all involved with that?

JK: Yeah, I remember that night when he went. He was nervous. He said, “Those guys are real.”

Drew Barrymore: I think it was great for him because he was playing J.W. who is this oil man, but no, that was really his cause.

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Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Dermot Mulroney, Kristen Bell, and Ted Danson dish on their whale rescue adventure flick.

Less than one day after earning a top-3 spot on our annual Hit List, TB has exclusively learned that actor, producer, director Drew Barrymore has signed on to direct the coming-of-age drama WHEN THE STREETLIGHTS GO ON. The film, which is set to be produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer via their Imagine Entertainment company hit the market back in July of this year, and has quietly gained a lot of fanfare amongst execs around town. Now, a few months later, and after making the top 3 (out of 83) count of our best spec scripts of the year list, the project begins its journey from beloved script, to fast-tracked film. The story, which recounts a man’s coming-of-age events amidst a small town murder mystery is written by co-writers Eddie O’Keefe and Chris Hutton.

Manager Tariq Merhab, and WME agents Sarah Self and Simon Faber repped the sale to Imagine.

Barrymore, who last directed the Ellen Page-starred “Whip It” currently has the Warner Bros. projects “Heist Society” and “Surrender Dorothy” on her directing slate alongside New Line’s “How to Be Single”. As an actress she also stars in the upcoming Universal pic “Big Miracle” (previously, and significantly better known as “Everybody Loves Whales”).

Barrymore is repped by Peter Levine and Bryan Lourd at CAA.

Tracking-Board.com

The first trailer for “Big Miracle”, originally titled Everybody Loves Whales, has just been released. The movie is set to be released on February 3, 2012!

Alaskans involved in the production of the big-budget studio film “Everybody Loves Whales” — or maybe just those startled to see Drew Barrymore in an Anchorage coffee shop — shouldn’t look for a movie under that title to see their name in the credits. The movie, which stars Barrymore and John Krasinski and revolves around the real-life story of the rescue of three gray whales trapped by sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, has been retitled “Big Miracle,” according to a post from the Alaska Film Office’s Facebook page. The film will likely see some popularity in the 49th State after the cause celebre surrounding the project’s $30 million budget and use of Alaska locales. The movie is slated to release on Feb. 3, 2012, so any Alaskans wondering if they’re house shows up in the background can check it out then.

Source

There is a new release date for the film “Everybody Loves Whales”. The film has been pushed back from January 2012 to February 3, 2012! The film is about a news reporter who works with a Greenpeace activist to save a family of gray whales trapped by ice in the arctic circle, and how their quest even caused the Soviet Union and the United States to momentarily put their conflict on hold during the Cold War.

Drew Barrymore is attached to produce with an eye to direct Heist Society, a young adult thriller being made by Warner Bros.

Drew Barrymore joins Denise Di Novi and Di Novi Pictures’ Alison Greenspan as producers on the project, which Warners won last year in a multi-studio bidding war for the novel by Ally Carter. Screenwriter Shauna Cross is set to adapt.

The book follows a young woman named Katarina Bishop who hails from an extended family of cat burglars and master thieves. The girl leaves her illicit life behind, but when her father is the prime suspect in the case of a mobster’s missing art collection, she assembles a crew to track down the art and steal it back.

The studio is aging the characters a notch into their early 20s. Barrymore will also supervise the writing.

By attaching herself to Society, Barrymore is again working with Cross, who wrote Whip It, Barrymore’s well-regarded female-centric roller derby flick starring Ellen Page and Kristen Wiig, among others.

Drew Barrymore, repped by CAA, is signed to helm How to Be Single, a New Line romantic comedy, and the plan is to tackle Society after Single.

Source

A film synopsis and release date for “Everybody Loves Whales” has been announced! The movie is set for release on January 13, 2012 and you can read the synopsis below.

Based on the inspiring true story that captured the hearts of people across the world, the rescue adventure Everybody Loves Whales tells the amazing tale of a small town news reporter (John Krasinski) and a Greenpeace volunteer (Drew Barrymore) who are joined by rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle. Local newsman Adam Carlson (Krasinski) can’t wait to escape the northern tip of Alaska for a bigger market. But just when the story of his career breaks, the world comes chasing it, too. With an oil tycoon, heads of state and hungry journalists descending upon the frigid outpost, the one who worries Adam the most is Rachel Kramer (Barrymore). Not only is she an outspoken environmentalist, she’s also his ex-girlfriend. With time running out, Rachel and Adam must rally an unlikely coalition of Inuit natives, oil companies and Russian and American military to set aside their differences and free the whales. As the world’s attention turns to the top of the globe, saving these endangered animals becomes a shared cause for nations entrenched against one another and leads to a momentary thaw in the Cold War.