September 4, 2015—Giant Screen Films is excited to announce that its newest film project, Ocean Giants: A Prehistory of Whales, is moving forward and set to commence with pre-production in the coming months. The immersive large-format film is a globe-spanning, time-traveling adventure, from ancient oceans to modern deserts, exploring the genesis of whales – an evolutionary odyssey that traces modest four-legged land mammals into tail-powered marine leviathans. Ocean Giants is slated for release in Spring 2017.
Audiences will journey through the early Cenozoic, the Age of Mammals, to explore how early, proto-whales ventured first into the margins of the sea… and ultimately into its depths as the largest animals ever to exist on the planet. Documentary live-action footage of researchers and contemporary whales will be intercut with stunning, photorealistic computer graphic imagery (CGI) bringing ancient whale ancestors back to life, revealing how intermediate species evolved over a 40 million year land-to-sea transition. The film will illustrate the synergy and confluence of paleontology and cutting-edge genomic research, allowing scientists to use both fossil and molecular data to fine tune the phylogenetic tree of life.
“Ocean Giants presently sits as the highest ranking film ever market-tested by our company,” said Don Kempf, President of Giant Screen Films. “It has all the ingredients for a blockbuster museum cinema and giant screen success – an underwater film, a centerpiece animal that happens to be the largest on earth, prehistoric monsters brought to life, exotic film locations, a captivating science mystery that reads like a good book, new research, and perhaps one of the most illustrative examples to help audiences really grasp the process of evolution. While not a dinosaur film, it feels like one…but fresh, featuring new science and a new cast of characters every bit as cool.”
Ocean Giants will be the third giant screen release in GSF’s marquee Prehistoric Giants series, following Dinosaurs Alive (2007) and Titans of the Ice Age (2013). The film will be coproduced and directed by Dave Clark, who helmed the other films in the series as well as the 1999 large-format film, Whales. Collectively these three relevant titles in GSF’s catalog have so far generated over $100M in box office within the museum cinema network.
Ocean Giants is being produced in association with the Smithsonian, San Diego Natural History Museum, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and a host of theater and aquarium advisory teams.
ABOUT GIANT SCREEN FILMS
Since 1997, GSF has established itself as a pioneer in the large-format industry, producing and distributing films that push the boundaries of the medium. Through the magic of immersive sight and sound technologies, GSF’s productions challenge the imaginations of children and adults, offering an inspiring perspective on the world and an unforgettable theater experience. Meaningful educational collaborations and partnerships extend each film’s impact far beyond the theater. The company is recognized as one of the world’s leading and most active large-format producers and is based in Evanston, Illinois. For additional information, visit www.gsfilms.com.