Free Willy. Free Willy is a 1993 American family drama film directed by Simon Wincer, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend, and written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker. The film stars Jason James Richter as a foster boy who befriends a captive orca. The film received positive attention from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $153.6 million over $20 million, and has a small cult following. It eventually grew into a small franchise, spawning three seq