Mary-Margaret Kunze and Jade Halley Bartlett are reimagining the script of the classic ’90s family adventure Free Willy. The project marks the continuation of the beloved series, introducing new creative voices to update the story for today’s audiences.According to THR , the film is being produced by the production company co-founded by filmmakers Anthony Russo and Joe Russo; the project marks their latest foray into family-oriented storytelling. The creative team hired Kunze and Bartlett, known for films like “Miller’s Girl” and “Icebreaker,” to bring their sensibilities to the reimagined story.
The cultural impact and legacy of the original film
The first film, Free Willie, was released in 1993 and became a global sensation, telling the story of an orphan who befriends a captive orca. The film had a budget of $20 million and grossed $153.7 million worldwide, proving that the concept was commercially viable. The film’s iconic theme song reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and achieved platinum status, extending the series’ cultural impact beyond the films.
The reimagining aims to honor the legacy of the original film while introducing its timeless story to today’s audiences. Image source(X)
Willy Free spawned multiple theatrical sequels, an animated television series, and direct-to-video sequels. The original film, starring Keiko the orca, also achieved broader cultural significance by dispelling myths about killer whales and inspiring activism around the issue of animal captivity.
Screenwriter’s Qualifications and Track Record
Kunze and Bartlett are creative partners operating under the production banner. In 2024, Bartlett made her directorial debut, which she wrote and directed, with Kunze producing. Bartlett’s screenplay, based on his own original screenplay, made the list of industry screenwriters in 2016, and Bartlett himself made the list in 2017 with another screenplay. Most recently, she created a streaming series based on the novels by Hannah Grace.
