Step behind the cameras as First News brings you the lowdown on the mega movie, Dolphin Tale.

STORY TIME

Dolphin Tale is a heart-warming adventure inspired by the amazing true story of an injured dolphin’s rescue and rehabilitation.

STARRY EYES

The movie stars a host of Hollywood icons, including Morgan Freeman and Harry Connick Jr, but a plucky pair of newcomers play the roles of the youngsters in the film. Nathan Gamble stars as Sawyer, the boy who discovers the dolphin, and a girl called Cozi Zuehlsdorff plays his new friend. 

DOLPHIN DELIGHTS

It was a dream of the movie’s creative team to have the real-life, tail-less dolphin play herself in the film. Director Charles Martin Smith reveals: “The dolphin’s name in the movie, and in real life, is Winter. She has a distinctive side-to-side wiggle that she developed to swim, which meant there was no other dolphin in the world that could play that part.” 

FUN IN THE SUN

Using Winter in the movie meant that the film’s team had to shoot on location at her home at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

ANIMAL MAGIC

When Winter lost her tail in real life, she was sent to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Once there, the team contacted a prosthetic expert to see if they could create a new tail for the animal, and that’s exactly what happens in the movie.

SHORE THING

Before being cast in the movie’s lead role, actor Nathan Gamble had to meet Winter to find out if they could bond in real life. Nathan says: “We immediately bonded. It was awesome!”

Dolphin Tale swims into cinemas from 14 October.