Freeing the Whales, Hollywood Style

Way back in 1989, Tom Rose published the book Freeing the Whales: How the Media Created the World’s Greatest Non-Event. It tells the story of an attempt to save three Gray whales trapped in sea ice near Barrow, Alaska in 1988 and the international media and political circus that surrounded the drama.

That classic environmental communication book is now being made into a feature film, tentatively titled Everybody Loves Whales. It will star Drew Barrymore as a Greenpeace activist, John Krasinski as a local journalist, and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Ted Danson as the foil guy:

Danson is one of Hollywood’s best-known environmentalists, but in this pic, he plays a win-at-all-costs oilman who has no interest in saving the mammals.

It is billed as a drama, but judging by the cast and the director, Ken Kwapis (“The Office,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “The Bernie Mac Show”), we might just get some tongue-in-cheek comedy along the way. Let’s hope so.