Blackfish (film)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Blackfish
Black-and-white picture of an orca (killer whale) with the title Blackfish and credits underneath
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGabriela Cowperthwaite
Written byGabriela Cowperthwaite
Eli Despres
Tim Zimmermann
Produced byManuel V. Oteyza
Gabriela Cowperthwaite
CinematographyJonathan Ingalls
Christopher Towey
Edited byEli Despres
Music byJeff Beal
Production
companies
CNN Films
Manny O. Productions
Distributed byMagnolia Pictures
Release dates
  • January 19, 2013 (2013-01-19) (Sundance)
  • July 19, 2013 (2013-07-19) (United States)
Running time
83 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.5 million[2]
Box office$2.3 million[3]

Blackfish is a 2013 American

captive orcas. The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2013, and was picked up by Magnolia Pictures and CNN Films for wider release. It was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary.[4]

Synopsis

Dawn Brancheau at SeaWorld Orlando in 2006.

The documentary concerns the captivity of Tilikum, an orca involved in the deaths of three people, and the consequences of keeping orcas in captivity.

orca's aggression
.

The film includes a

John Hargrove, who describe their experiences with Tilikum and other captive orcas
.

The documentary argues that the wild-caught orcas experienced extreme stress when captured as juveniles, and spending a lifetime in aquaria being forced to perform and breed lead to aggression toward other orcas and humans. The film features footage of Tilikum's attacks on trainers and other captive orcas as well as interviews with witnesses.

Development

Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Thom Powers, former SeaWorld trainers Samantha Berg, John Hargrove, and John Jett at the Miami International Film Festival presentation of Blackfish at the Regal South Beach on March 3, 2013.

Cowperthwaite began work on the film after the February 2010 death of Tilikum's trainer Dawn Brancheau and in response to the claim that the orca had targeted Brancheau because she had worn her hair in a ponytail.[9] Cowperthwaite argued that this claim had been conjecture and that "there had to be more to this story".[9]

The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2013, and was picked up by Magnolia Pictures and CNN Films for wider release.[8]

Release

Blackfish premiered at the

Dogwoof Pictures acquiring international rights.[10] Dogwoof sold the film to multiple buyers for international territories, including Netflix for the UK, Scandinavia and Latin America (the latter two would later go to Universal) and Universal Pictures for Asia, Africa, Portugal, Italy and several other territories.[11][12] However, in 2021, for unexplained reasons, Netflix removed Blackfish from their platform.[13]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, the film has a score of 98% based on 132 reviews with an average rating of 8/10. The site's critical consensus states, "Blackfish is an aggressive, impassioned documentary that will change the way you look at performance killer whales."[14] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 83 out of 100 based on 33 critics indicating "universal acclaim".[15] The Deseret News called it "a gripping example of documentary filmmaking at its finest".[16]

Box office

In release for 14 weeks, the film earned $2,073,582 at the North American domestic box office.[3]

Response from trainers

After the film's release, former SeaWorld trainer Bridgette Pirtle said the final film was "a complete '180' from what was originally presented to me."[17] In earlier statements, Pirtle praised the film's direction and supported its message.[18] Mark Simmons, one of Tilikum's first trainers, believed few of his interview comments were used "because the things I said flew in the face of the movie's clear agenda. What I contributed did not support Gabriela or Tim Zimmerman's intent with the film."[19]

Michael Scarpuzzi, the vice president for zoological operations and trainer for SeaWorld San Diego, says the film uses Brancheau's death and gruesome details to "not inform the public, but, rather regrettably, because of the desire to sensationalize." He states, "We have altered how we care for, display and train these extraordinary animals. We have changed the facilities, equipment and procedures at our killer whale habitats. The care and educational presentation of these animals at SeaWorld has been made safer than ever. Does Blackfish inform its viewers of that fact? No, it does not."[20]

In January 2014, the family of the late trainer Dawn Brancheau said neither they nor the foundation named after her were affiliated with the film, and that they did not believe it accurately reflected Brancheau or her experiences.[21]

Response from SeaWorld

Tilikum at SeaWorld Orlando in 2009.

SeaWorld Entertainment refused to take part in the production of Blackfish, and later claimed the film was inaccurate,[22]
saying in a statement:

Blackfish ... is inaccurate and misleading and, regrettably, exploits a tragedy .... [T]he film paints a distorted picture that withholds ...key facts about SeaWorld—among them...that SeaWorld rescues, rehabilitates and returns to the wild hundreds of wild animals every year, and that SeaWorld commits millions of dollars annually to conservation and scientific research.[23]

SeaWorld also responded with an open letter rebutting the claims.[6] The Oceanic Preservation Society and The Orca Project, a non-profit organization focusing on orca in captivity, responded with open letters criticizing SeaWorld's claims.[24][25] Marine researcher Debbie Giles also offered rebuttals to SeaWorld, finding its assertions inaccurate.[26] SeaWorld considers the film to be propaganda.[27]

On December 31, 2013, the

Orlando Business Journal posted a poll asking if Blackfish had changed readers' opinions on SeaWorld. The majority of votes stated that the film had not. It was later found that 180 out of 328 votes (55%) originated from a single SeaWorld-hosted IP address.[28] SeaWorld defended the voting, stating that "each of the votes that came from a SeaWorld domain were cast by team members who are passionate about the incredible work SeaWorld does and the experiences our parks provide."[29]

SeaWorld also created a section of its website titled "Truth About Blackfish", addressing the claims stated above and highlighting what it considered other problems with the film.[30][27] This section of the website is no longer active.

On February 27, 2014, SeaWorld filed a complaint with the

U.S. Department of Labor, claiming that Lara Padgett, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigator, had behaved unethically by aiding the filmmakers. Cowperthwaite denied claims of improper collaboration.[31]

Starting in the summer of 2014, SeaWorld, as Eric Davis, created a number of public relations websites such as Awesome Ocean, Stand With Sea World, and I Love SeaWorld, in an effort to share their view, counter what they believed were inaccuracies happening in the public debate, and repair their brand.[32][33][34][35][36][37]

Impact

SeaWorld

SeaWorld announced afterward it had suffered a $15.9 million loss, which CEO Jim Atchison attributed in part to high ticket prices and poor weather.[38]

Overall attendance at SeaWorld parks and Busch Gardens declined by 5% in the first nine months of 2013, though it was unclear if the drop in attendance was due to the influence of the film.[31] SeaWorld claimed attendance figures for its three marine parks — Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio — in the last three months of 2013 were at record levels for that quarter.[39]

In response to the film,

USDA to update regulations under the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 in regards to cetacean captivity. It passed with "unanimous bipartisan support".[42] The bill allocates 1 million USD to studying the impacts of captivity on marine mammals. Schiff cited Blackfish as raising public concern.[43]

After the release of Blackfish, Southwest Airlines came under pressure to end its 26-year relationship with SeaWorld.[44] Southwest responded that it was aware of concerns and was "engaged" with SeaWorld over them, but that the partnership would continue.[45] In July 2014, it was announced that the partnership would not be renewed. A press release stated that the break was mutual and based on "shifting priorities".[44] The petitioning by activists was cited as a possible factor for the split.[46][47]

In August 2014, SeaWorld announced that attendance and revenue were down about 1% to 2% for the second quarter of 2014 compared with the second quarter of 2013. Additionally, SeaWorld stock prices dropped by 33%.[48] The company attributed the decline to the proposed government legislation related to the documentary.[49] In November 2014, SeaWorld announced that attendance at the parks had dropped 5.2% from the previous year and profits had fallen 28% over that quarter. As of November 2014, the company's stock was down 50% from the previous year.[50][51][52]

In September 2014, the Rosen Law Firm PA announced an investigation into "potential securities claim" on behalf of SeaWorld investors.[53] According to the firm, SeaWorld "acknowledged for the first time the negative publicity may have had a hit and may have been why the attendance has been flat for now and the past quarters." The firm will investigate if SeaWorld was aware of the impact and "chose to downplay that as a reason for its performance results."[54] In September 2014, the Rosen Law Firm filed a class action lawsuit. It alleges that SeaWorld "misled investors by claiming the decrease in attendance at its parks was caused by Easter holiday and other factors" rather than the release of Blackfish and improper practices.[53]

SeaWorld said in August 2014 that the film had hurt revenues at its park in San Diego.[55] On December 11, 2014, SeaWorld announced that chief executive Jim Atchison would resign, with an interim successor replacing him on January 15, 2015. The company's share price had fallen 44% in 2014.[55][56]

In August 2015, SeaWorld announced a 3% drop in revenue and an 84% drop in net income for the second quarter of 2015 when compared to the previous year. Attendance fell 1.6%, from 6.58 million to 6.48 million.[57][58][59][60]

In November 2015, SeaWorld announced plans to end killer-whale shows at its theme park in San Diego.[61] In March 2016, SeaWorld announced it would end its orca breeding program and begin to phase out all live performances using orcas.[62] In a statement regarding the decision, the company said, "Society is changing and we're changing with it."[63]

In 2018, SeaWorld and former CEO James Atchison agreed to pay over $5 million to settle federal charges that the company hid from investors the negative impact that Blackfish had on the business. As part of the indictment, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Atchison sold Seaworld stock in the first quarter of 2014 in order to hide the loss in revenue.[64]

Other media

Reaction to the documentary prompted the bands and singers

Busch Gardens Tampa in 2014.[65][66][67][68]

The ending to the Disney/Pixar film Finding Dory was revised after director Andrew Stanton and then-chief creative officer John Lasseter saw Blackfish and spoke with director Gabriela Cowperthwaite. The depiction of a marine park in the film was altered.[69]

The film Paper Towns, based on the book by John Green, had scenes featuring SeaWorld cut. Producer Wyck Godfrey explained, "Since [John] wrote the book, the documentary [Blackfish] came out. I think it's a little less playful to go to SeaWorld now."[70]

Director Colin Trevorrow admitted that the animal rights themes in the 2015 film Jurassic World were inspired by Blackfish, with elements of the hybrid dinosaur Indominus rex and the fictional theme park in the film inspired by Tilikum and SeaWorld, respectively.[71]

Soundtrack

Composer Jeff Beal composed the original score, recording a small orchestra at his house in Agoura Hills. While no physical CDs were produced, the score is available for download on iTunes.[72] In July 2016, the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra premiered the concert version of the score, live-to-picture, at the Montalban Theater, conducted by Beal.[73]

Home media

Blackfish was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 26, 2013 in the UK (Region 2, PAL).[74] Its U.S. release was on November 12, 2013.[75][76]

The documentary was broadcast on CNN on October 24, 2013.

Crossfire with Blackfish associate producer Tim Zimmermann debating Grey Stafford
, a conservationist, zoologist, and member of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association.

The documentary aired on BBC Four in the UK on November 21, 2013 as part of the Storyville documentary series.[77]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Blackfish (2013)". bbfc.co.uk. British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  2. TheWrap.com
    . Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Blackfish (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  4. ^ "Documentary in 2014". BAFTA.org. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  5. ^ French, Philip (July 27, 2013). "Blackfish – review". The Observer. UK. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "SeaWorld: The Truth Is in Our Parks and People. An Open Letter from SeaWorld's Animal Advocates". SeaWorld. n.d. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  7. ^ "Killer Whale (Orcinus orca)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Protected Fisheries. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  8. ^ a b Kaufman, Amy (January 25, 2013). "'Blackfish' has SeaWorld in hot water". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Kohn, Eric (January 26, 2013). "Sundance Interview: 'Blackfish' Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite Discusses Suffering Orcas, Trainer Death, and Why SeaWorld Hasn't Seen the Movie". IndieWire. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  10. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 13, 2013). "Dogwoof reels in Blackfish rights". Screen International. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  11. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (July 22, 2013). "Dogwoof inks deals for Blackfish". Screen International. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  12. ^ Rosser, Michael (January 30, 2014). "Universal hooks Blackfish from Dogwoof". Screen International. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  13. ^ Icard-Cullen, Delaney (May 1, 2021). "Wildly popular documentary "Blackfish" removed from Netflix". The NDBC Catalyst. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  14. ^ "Blackfish". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  15. ^ Blackfish at Metacritic Edit this at Wikidata
  16. ^ Peterson, Jeff (January 24, 2013). "Sundance review: 'Blackfish' is an alarming film". Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  17. ^ Davis, Eric (January 9, 2014). "Blackfish Exposed by Former SeaWorld Trainer". MiceChat.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  18. ^ Batt, Elizabeth (April 9, 2014). "Op-Ed: Sean Hannity's 'debate' on orca bill evolves into full-on bashing". Digital Journal. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  19. ^ Davis, Eric (January 13, 2014). "More Blackfish Backlash – Tilikum's Trainer Dives In". MiceChat.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  20. ^ Scarpuzzi, Michael (October 28, 2013). "Blackfish film ignores SeaWorld's benefits to conservation, research". CNN.com. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  21. ^ Garcia, Jason (January 21, 2014). "Family of Dawn Brancheau chastises 'Blackfish'". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  22. ^ Pat Saperstein (July 18, 2013). "SeaWorld: Killer Whale Doc 'Blackfish' Is 'Inaccurate'". Variety. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  23. ^ "SeaWorld responds to questions about captive orcas, 'Blackfish' film". CNN. October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  24. ^ "Marine Mammal Captivity: The Truth Is in the Facts An Open Letter from the Informed American Public" (PDF). Oceanic Preservation Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 14, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  25. ^ Costanzo, Amy. "An Open Letter BACK to SeaWorld". The Orca Project. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  26. ^ "SeaWorld Is So Pissed Over the Blackfish Documentary". Gawker.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  27. ^ a b "Why "Blackfish" is Propaganda, not a Documentary". SeaWorldCares.com. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  28. Orlando Business Journal
    . January 2, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  29. ^ "SeaWorld-Owned IP Address Linked To Majority Of Votes In Newspaper's 'Blackfish' Poll: Report". Huffington Post. January 3, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  30. ^ Parker, Kolten (February 17, 2014). "SeaWorld posts videos in response to 'Blackfish' documentary". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  31. ^ a b Cieply, Michael (February 27, 2014). "SeaWorld Questions Ethics of 'Blackfish' Investigator". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  32. ^ Pedicini, Sandra (March 23, 2015). "Seeking to repair its brand, SeaWorld launches campaign". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  33. ^ "Awesome Ocean takes on The Dodo... and The Dodo fights back". The Mid-Cap Chronicles. July 14, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  34. Fast Company
    . Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  35. ^ Pedicini, Sandra (April 11, 2015). "Bloggers become more important to theme parks". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  36. Stuff.co.nz
    . Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  37. ^ Kim, Susanna (April 1, 2015). "Former Whale Trainer Says SeaWorld Leading 'Smear Campaign' Against Him". ABC News. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  38. ^ Stock, Kyle (August 29, 2013). "SeaWorld's Slump Raises a Question: Is Shamu Too Sad, or Too Expensive?". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013.
  39. ^ Garcia, Jason (January 13, 2014). "Amid 'Blackfish' controversy, SeaWorld sets attendance record". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 2, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  40. ^ "Sign The Petition To End The Torture". Nysenate.gov. Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  41. ^ Michael, Martinez (December 16, 2013). "California bill would ban orca shows at SeaWorld". CNN. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  42. ^ "Reps. Schiff and Huffman Pass Amendment Directing USDA to Update Rules Protecting Captive Orcas and Other Marine Mammals". Congressman Adam Shiff. June 11, 2014. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  43. ^ "After 'Blackfish,' SeaWorld hurt financially but keeps up political spending". The Washington Post. August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  44. ^ a b Stout, David (August 1, 2014). "So Long, Shamu: Southwest, SeaWorld End Ties". Time. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  45. ^ McInnis, Marilee (January 8, 2014). "Update on SeaWorld Partnership". Southwest Airlines. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  46. ^ Marlow, Ian (August 13, 2014). "SeaWorld shares dive as documentary spurs attendance drop". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  47. ^ Solomon, Jesse (August 13, 2014). "SeaWorld stock gets soaked, plunges 33%". CNN. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  48. ^ Pedicini, Sandra, "SeaWorld stock tanks after low earnings", Orlando Sentinel, August 13, 2014
  49. ^ Roose, Kevin, "SeaWorld: Remember When We Said That Blackfish Movie Didn't Hurt Us? Well, Never Mind", New York, August 13, 2014
  50. ^ Omberg, Emily, "SeaWorld's financial struggles from 'Blackfish' affecting Busch Gardens", Orlando Sun Times, November 18, 2014
  51. ^ Omberg, Emily, "SeaWorld losing revenue, attendance and profit because of "Blackfish"", Orlando Sun Times, November 12, 2014
  52. ^ Trigaux, Robert, "As SeaWorld suffers 'Blackfish' impact, Busch Gardens suffers, too", Tampa Bay Times, November 17, 2014
  53. ^ a b "Equity Alert: The Rosen Law Firm Files Securities Class Action Against SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. -- SEAS" (Press release). Rosen Law Firm via MarketWatch.com. September 9, 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014. (archive requires scrolldown)
  54. ^ "NY law firm explores class-action suit against SeaWorld". Orlando Business Journal. August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  55. ^ a b "SeaWorld boss steps down after film hurts attendance". BBC News. December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014.
  56. ^ "SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. Announces David D'Alessandro Named Interim CEO" (Press release). SeaWorld Entertainment. December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  57. ^ Weisman, Aly, "'Jackass' star Steve-O arrested after an epic stunt including a 100-foot crane and an inflatable whale in protest of SeaWorld", Business Insider (Yahoo! News), 11 August 2015
  58. ^ SeaWorld Entertainment, "SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2015 Results", PRNewswire, 6 August 2015
  59. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice, "‘Blackfish’ Effect: SeaWorld Suffers Disastrous 84 Percent Drop in Profits in Wake of Documentary", TheWrap, 6 August 2015
  60. ^ Neate, Rupert, "SeaWorld sees profits plunge 84% as customers desert controversial park", The Guardian, 6 August 2015
  61. ^ Fais, Scott (November 10, 2015). "SeaWorld San Diego ending killer whale shows, Orlando park to expand". St. Petersburg, Florida: Bay News 9. Archived from the original on November 16, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  62. ^ Kay, Jennifer (March 17, 2016). "SeaWorld to Stop Breeding Orcas, Making Them Perform Tricks". Bloomberg. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  63. ^ Jamieson, Alastair (March 17, 2016). "Show's Over: SeaWorld to End Killer Whale Program". NBC News. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  64. ^ Hayes, Dade (September 18, 2018). "'Blackfish' Documentary Settlement Costs Sea World And Ex-CEO $5M After Charges They Hid Film's Impact". Deadline. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  65. ^ Ahmed, Saeed (December 9, 2013). "Heart cancels SeaWorld show amid 'Blackfish' controversy". CNN. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  66. ^ Duke, Alan (December 16, 2013). "Martina McBride, 38 Special, cancel SeaWorld gig over 'Blackfish' backlash". CNN. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  67. ^ "Beach Boys, Benatar Cancel at Busch Gardens". The New York Times. Associated Press. January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  68. ^ Gibson, Megan (December 11, 2013). "The Documentary Blackfish Is Still Creating Waves at SeaWorld". Time.
  69. ^ a b Kaufman, Amy (August 9, 2013). "'Blackfish' gives Pixar second thoughts on 'Finding Dory' plot". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  70. ^ Ford, Rebecca (January 16, 2015). "SeaWorld Scene Cut From John Green's 'Paper Towns' Film". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  71. ISSN 0190-8286
    . Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  72. ^ "Blackfish (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  73. ^ Malach, Hannah (June 30, 2016). "'Blackfish' to Be Celebrated at Live Concert Event in Hollywood". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  74. ^ "Competition: Win 'Blackfish' on DVD *closed*". CineVue. August 23, 2013. Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  75. ^ Keefer, Ryan (November 4, 2013). "Blackfish (Blu-ray)". DVD Talk. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  76. ^ Matheson, Whitney (November 12, 2013). "Cool stuff on DVD today: 'Family Ties' and more". USA Today. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  77. ^ "Storyville: Blackfish - The Whale That Killed". BBC. November 21, 2013. Archived from the original on January 29, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2013. The story of a killer whale who has taken the lives of several people while in captivity

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blackfish_(film)&oldid=1219083197"