Free Willy is a 1993 American family film directed by Simon Wincer, and released by Warner Bros. under its Family Entertainment label. The film stars Jason James Richter as a young boy who befriends a killer whale, named "Willy." Followed by two sequels, a third non-consecutive sequel, Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove , and a short-lived animated television series, Free Willy was a financial success, eventually making a star out of its protagonist Keiko. The film's famous climax has been spoofed several times in popular culture. Michael Jackson produced and performed "Will You Be There",... the theme for the film, which can be heard during the film's credits. The song won the MTV Movie Award for "Best Song in a Movie" in 1994. It was also included in the album All Time Greatest Movie Songs, released by Sony in 1999. Jackson also performed songs for the film's first sequel. The film begins with a pod of orcas swimming near the coastline of the Pacific Northwest. The pod is tracked down by a large group of whalers, and a single orca gets caught in their net.
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| Release date: | July 16, 1993 |
| Directed by: | Simon Wincer |
| Rated: |  |
| Runtime: | 112 Minutes |
| Producer: | Jennie Lew Tugend, Lauren Shuler Donner |
| Editor: | O. Nicholas Brown |
| Music by: | Basil Poledouris |
| Cinematography: | Robbie Greenberg |
| Screenplay by: | Keith A. Walker, Corey Blechman |
| Estimated budget: | $20,000,000 |
| Genre: | Adventure |