Free Willy

Free Willy is a 1993 family drama film, directed by Simon Wincer, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend, written by Keith Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker and distributed by Warner Bros. under their Family Entertainment label. The film stars Jason James Richter in his film debut, Lori Petty, Jayne Atkinson, August Schellenberg, and Michael Madsen with the eponymous character, Willy, played by Keiko. The story is about a 12-year-old orphaned boy named Jesse who befriends a captive orca, Willy, at an ailing amusement park. When he discovers that the park owner has been planning to dispose of Willy, he hatches a scheme to break Willy out of captivity. Released on July 16, 1993, the film received positive attention from critics and was a com