Tom Holland to star in In the Heart of The Sea

Just as the BBC starts filming in Malta on The Whale, its dramatisation of the ill-fated voyage of whaleship The Essex seen through the eyes of the cabin boy Thomas Nickerson (to be played by newcomer Charles Furness),  Hollywood is hot on its heels.

Warner Bros are set to film In The Heart Of The Sea this year, another account of the story, adapted from Nathaniel Philbrick’s award-winning book In The Heart Of The Sea: The Tragedy Of The Whaleship Essex, about a whaling ship that was stalked and destroyed by a sperm whale in 1820, to be directed by Ron Howard.

According to Deadline, the 17 year old star of The Impossible Tom Holland (represented by Curtis Brown) has been cast as young Tom Nickerson in this movie adaptation, opposite Chris Hemsworth. Tom won the Critics Circle Young British Performer of the Year award for his portrayal of eldest son Lucas in The Impossible, and will next be seen opposite Saoirse Ronan in the highly-anticipated How I Live Now.

Filming on In The Heart of the Sea is set to commence this September in London and on location.