Emily Rudd’s New Movie Is a Must Watch for One Piece Fans After Eerie Similarity

Some actors have a strange habit of finding themselves in oddly similar stories. Emily Rudd may have found one of the funniest examples yet. The One Piece star’s new survival thriller Whalefall puts her in a movie built around a giant whale, just months after Netflix’s live-action series brought Laboon and his emotional story to life in Season 2.

That makes Whalefall an unexpectedly fun watch for One Piece fans. The movie has nothing to do with the Straw Hats, but the whale-sized connection is hard to miss, especially after Rudd herself joked about it online. And with her Nami journey continuing into Netflix’s recent LEGO ONE PIECE and the upcoming One Piece Season 3 in 2027, this strange connection is only getting better.

Whalefall Gives Emily Rudd Another Whale-Sized One Piece Connection

Whalefall follows Jay Gardiner, a young scuba diver who travels into the ocean while searching for the remains of his father. Things quickly go horribly wrong when Jay is swallowed by an enormous sperm whale and finds himself trapped inside its body with only a limited supply of oxygen.

The movie, based on Daniel Kraus’ novel of the same name, turns that frightening situation into a tense survival story. Whalefall is scheduled to hit theaters on October 16, 2026. That premise immediately sounds familiar to One Piece fans because of Laboon. The Straw Hat Pirates encounter the giant Island Whale after entering the Grand Line through Reverse Mountain, and their ship ends up inside Laboon. The difference, of course, is that Rudd is not playing someone trapped inside the whale. She plays Nan, Jay’s sister.

Still, the timing is almost too perfect, considering Rudd has just been part of one of One Piece‘s most important whale-related moments. Rudd herself clearly noticed the connection. She joked on Twitter/X, writing –

finding my niche as the actor who only does projects where at least one person gets swallowed by a whale 💕

— emily rudd (@emilysteaparty) June 12, 2026

It is a perfect little joke for fans who watched her Nami go through the Laboon storyline. The whale connection is not even the only recent One Piece project Rudd has taken on. She also returned as Nami for LEGO ONE PIECE, Netflix’s animated LEGO special based on the same story as the live-action series. The project brings back the live-action cast to voice their LEGO versions, giving Rudd yet another way to continue her role as the Straw Hats’ navigator.

That makes Whalefall feel like an especially funny addition to Rudd’s growing One Piece history. She has played Nami in live action, voiced the LEGO version of Nami, and now stars in a movie where a giant whale becomes the center of a survival nightmare.

One Piece Season 2 Gives Laboon the Live-Action Moment He Deserves

Laboon’s appearance was always going to be one of the biggest challenges for One Piece Season 2. The giant whale is not just another strange creature from the Grand Line. His story is tied directly to Brook and the Rumbar Pirates, while his promise to wait for them gives the early One Piece story one of its most emotional moments.

Netflix’s adaptation gives that story its own spin. After the Straw Hats are swallowed by Laboon, Luffy finds a different way to connect with the lonely whale. Instead of simply turning the encounter into another fight, the live-action series uses music and memory to bring the two together.

The scene also gives Laboon more than just a giant CGI entrance. His loneliness, his memories, and his decades-long wait all become part of the moment. For Rudd, the moment had an extra personal connection. She revealed that she cried when she first watched the finished Laboon scene (via Netflix). Considering that Nami is one of the Straw Hats caught up in the encounter, her reaction makes the moment even more fitting.

And there is still plenty more to come for Rudd and the live-action One Piece cast. Netflix has confirmed Season 3 for 2027, with the story moving deeper into the Straw Hats’ journey toward Alabasta. Rudd will return as Nami, meaning her One Piece adventure is far from over.

For now, though, Whalefall gives fans a hilarious reason to watch. It is not a One Piece movie, and the story has nothing to do with Laboon, but watching Emily Rudd appear in another whale-centered survival story so soon after Season 2 is simply something you cannot miss. So, are you adding Whalefall to your watchlist after spotting this bizarre One Piece connection? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.