Disney has struck gold yet again with a heartwarming and inspiring tale centered around a real-life sports icon who changed women’s sports forever after becoming the first person to swim across the English Channel. Given that it’s Disney, it’s epic, and it’s based around the sea, you may not be surprised to learn that Hollywood legend Jerry Bruckheimer, the mega-producer behind the similarly maritime Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, is also the producer behind Young Woman and the Sea, which hits theaters May 31 and features Star Wars alum Daisy Ridley as accomplished swimmer Trudy Ederle.

Despite already having 48 Oscar nominations and seven wins, Bruckheimer is still extremely busy with a slew of other high-profile films as of late — Bad Boys: Ride or Die, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F — and we recently caught up with the producer to learn more about them and why he nabbed the Young Woman and the Sea rights from the get-go.

Young Woman and the Sea Release Date May 31, 2024 Runtime 1h 40m Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

‘A Story About Female Empowerment’
Walt Disney Studios

Young Woman and the Sea tells Ederle’s monumental true story that dates back to the 1920s, but its universal themes will surely resonate with audiences today. “It’s a story about female empowerment. It’s a story about a woman who overcame all kinds of obstacles,” Bruckheimer told MovieWeb. He added:

She’s an immigrant, she was partially deaf. We try to inspire people. She’s a very inspirational character. And we want people in the world to see her story and see what she had to overcome, so they can see what they can overcome in their lives, too.

Bruckheimer continued to highlight his high hopes for this brand-new feature of his:

”
It’s the highest-testing movie I’ve ever made, and I’ve made some pretty big movies
. So audiences really love this movie when they get in there, and people are always looking for good entertainment. And this is really good entertainment. It’s a captivating story. You feel something in there. And it’s well told.”

On the Phenomenal Cast and Characters

In addition to star Ridley leading the film, Young Woman and the Sea also features plenty of other Hollywood heavyweights, from co-stars Stephen Graham (Boardwalk Empire) and Kim Bodnia (Killing Eve) to Disney-regular director Joachim Rønning (Tron: Ares). “We were lucky to pull that cast together, and they wanted to do this movie,” said Bruckheimer. “Joachim is such a good director, and Daisy — to work so hard, to train for three months with an Olympic swimming coach, to be proficient in the water, and she got waterlogged toes. It’s freezing weather. And I mean, she’s amazing, what she put up with.”

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Given that Bruckheimer is the man responsible for bringing the iconic Pirates Disneyworld theme park ride to life as an Oscar-nominated film, we were curious if there’s something about projects centered around the ocean that particularly interests him, given the premise of Young Woman and the Sea. “It’s always about the story,” he said. “We’ll take on any challenge if we have a great story and a great character and a great theme. This has got all three. It’s got a great theme, great story, and terrific characters. And that’s why we go to the movies. We want to be transported from one place to another, and this movie does it.”

Bruckheimer’s Upcoming Projects

Looking ahead, another high-profile production of Bruckheimer’s is hitting the masses soon — yet another Bad Boys installment, in theaters June 5. “People love it and say it’s one of the best of all of them, so that’s great,” Bruckheimer told us. “A lot of humor, a lot of great action, and the guys are back together, and they’re funnier and better than ever. So I think audiences will love that one, too.”

This begs the question: Will Martin Lawrence and Will Smith forever remain the face of the Bad Boys franchise? “They better be,” said Bruckheimer. “I don’t know if anybody could ever replace those two.”

Watch Our Last Jerry Bruckheimer Interview Below:

Bruckheimer also commented on other new and upcoming projects he’s involved in:

“We have
Eddie Murphy in
Beverly Hills Cop

, that’s coming out later this summer. We also have a movie that’s on VOD right now,
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
with Henry Cavill, and Guy Ritchie directed. And we’re
currently shooting an F1 movie with Brad Pitt
. That will come out the following summer.”

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Bruckheimer also weighed in on big-budget rumors surrounding the upcoming F1 movie, which is being directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick). “That was misreported,” he told us. “It’s not quite what they say it is. It’s always the case: They start reviewing the budget, and it’s inaccurate, but that’s what we deal with.”

From Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Young Woman and the Sea opens exclusively in theaters on May 31. Watch the trailer below: