The jump scene in "Free Willy" was accomplished by strapping an animatronic whale to a rocket launcher. Director Simon Wincer recalled the process in a new interview with The Guardian. Lori Petty, who ...

I don’t know precisely when I first watched Free Willy. But I do remember that the film was central to a childhood obsession with whales – orcas, specifically – that followed me well into adulthood.