The trailer and poster for the Ryan Reynolds produced/narrated documentary The Whale have landed online. Directed by Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit, the film is set on Vancouver Island and tells the story of Luna, a baby orca whale who begins socializing with local townspeople after being separated from her family. The directors began investigating Luna's separation while on assignment for Smithsonian and The Whale is the result of their efforts to protect the animal. Although I can't say the trailer and poster make The Whale seem like the most gripping documentary of all-time, it does seem to have a heart of gold that parents may be able to enjoy with their kids.

Check out the trailer, poster, some images, and a full synopsis for the film after the jump. The Whale will open to select U.S. theaters beginning September 9th in Seattle, the 16th in New York, and the 23rd in Washington DC.

Here's the trailer:

Here are some images from the film [click to enlarge]:

Finally, here is the poster and official synopsis for The Whale:

Set on the rugged western coast of Vancouver Island and narrated by Ryan Reynolds, THE WHALE describes what happens when Luna, a baby orca, gets separated from his family and unexpectedly starts making contact with people along a scenic fjord called Nootka Sound. Because orcas are highly social creatures who spend their lives traveling with their pods, Luna attempts to find a surrogate family among the area residents, much to their delight. But as word spreads about Luna, people become torn between their love for the lonely young whale and fears that human contact might harm him.

Luna’s saga is seen through the eyes of the colorful characters who live and work along the Sound and who fall in love with the whale – including a cook on an old freighter, a fisheries officer conflicted by what he thinks Luna needs and what he is told to do, a grandmother who is arrested for petting Luna, and a Native American elder whose tribe believes Luna is the reincarnation of a chief.

The film also describes how Parfit and Chisholm, who first went to Nootka Sound on assignment for Smithsonian, grow so concerned about Luna’s fate that they get involved in trying to help him, crossing the traditional line between journalist and subject and becoming characters in the very story they are telling. Their efforts to find ways to safely give Luna the attention he seems so determined to get are a major part of the film's climax.