Claim: In the Heart of the Sea premiered in New York City.

In the Heart of the Sea is a 2015 adventure-drama film based on Nathaniel Philbrick 's non-fiction book of the same name , about the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in 1820 , an event that inspired the novel Moby-Dick . An international co-production between the United States and Spain , it was directed and produced by Ron Howard and written by Charles Leavitt . The film stars Chris Hemsworth , Benjamin Walker , Cillian Murphy , Tom Holland , Ben Whishaw and Brendan Gleeson .   It premiered in New York City on December 7 , 2015 and was released in cinemas in the United States on December 11 , 2015 by Warner Bros. . Pictures . In the Heart of the Sea received mixed reviews from critics , and grossed $ 93 million against a $ 100 million budget , making it a box office bomb .