Everyone has heard of the story of Moby Dick, Herman Melville’s classic tale of a sea captain chasing his prized quarry, a white whale. Did you know Melville based his story on actual events?

In 2000 Nathaniel Philbrick wrote a novel, In the Heart of the Sea, about the true story of The Essex, an 1820 whaling ship that was hunted, and ultimately sunk, by a sperm whale. This event was the inspiration for Moby Dick.

Hemsworth will play the ships first mate who saves the crew. After the ship was attacked the first mate led twenty crewman to an island. While on the island they were short on supplies and had to resort to cannibalism to survive.

Blood Diamond screenwriter Charles Leavitt wrote the scrip and there are several studios interested in the film, but word is Dreamworks will most likely get the film.

I haven’t read this, but I plan on changing that soon. I love true life survival tales.

Have you read it? What do you think of Hemsworth as the first mate?

SOURCE: Deadline Hollywood