Moby-Dick surfaces in the trailer for 'In the Heart of the Sea'

"In the Heart of the Sea" arrives in theaters on March 13, 2015 in the US and the UK. Photo: AFP

Warner Bros has shared a new trailer for Ron Howard's next feature. "In the Heart of the Sea" depicts the attack of a giant sperm whale on a whaling ship in 1820 -- the same true events that inspired Herman Melville's classic novel "Moby-Dick."

The new trailer turns the spotlight on the famous sea mammal, its assault on the Whaleship Essex and the dismal fate that awaits the surviving sailors.

"In the Heart of the Sea" is based on the true story of how a whaling ship was attacked by a gigantic sperm whale off the coast of South America in the early 19th century. The incident, recounted in the ship's log by its first mate, gave rise to Nathaniel Philbrick's 2000 novel "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex," from which the new film is adapted.

Published a century and a half earlier, Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick" is also informed by the famous attack. Beyond evoking the conflict with the beast, the 1851 novel describes the madness of Ahab, the captain of the Essex, whose obsession with taking revenge on Moby-Dick leads to the demise of the entire crew. After the ship sinks, the surviving crew members are washed up on a desert island, where they are forced to resort to cannibalism to avoid starving.

The new feature is the second collaboration between director Ron Howard and actor Chris Hemsworth after "Rush," released in late 2013. Known for playing Thor in Marvel's eponymous franchise and in the "Avengers" movies, the Australian actor headlines the drama as the whaling ship's first mate Owen Chase, a survivor of the tragedy.

"In the Heart of the Sea" also features Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Ben Whishaw, Tom Holland, Brendan Gleeson and Jordi Molla.

The film premieres March 13, 2015 in the US and the UK.

Watch the trailer: