At long, long last, Brendan Fraser is making a comeback to the big screen with the new psychological drama from Black Swan and mother! director Darren Aronofsky, titled The Whale.
Fraser established himself as one of the world’s biggest movie stars in the ’90s and early 2000s, appearing in the Mummy trilogy, George of the Jungle and Encino Man, but has since dropped out of the limelight.
However the actor, who hasn’t bagged a lead role since thriller Breakout in 2013, is reportedly so impressive in the new film that he received a round of applause at the end of its first screening at Venice Film Festival when the actor’s name appeared on screen.
AwardsWatch’s Rob Ruggio wrote on Twitter after the screening ended: “A huge round of applause for Brendan Fraser when his name appeared in the end credits of The Whale.”
Pop Culture Confidential’s Christina Jeurling Birro added: “I’ll leave you with this until the embargo lifts: there was a huge round of applause for Brendan Fraser when his name came up on the screen during the end credit. And a lot of tears being wiped…”
Based on the stage play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter, the upcoming film from A24 sees Fraser undergo a physical transformation, as well as sport prosthetics, to play a severely obese English teacher called Charlie.
But Charlie hasn’t always been obese. After leaving his wife and daughter for another man, he turns to eating following the demise of his partner.
Over the course of a week, Charlie attempts to reconnect with his high-school-age daughter, who hasn’t seen in years. However, things don’t go particularly well: Ellie (Sadie Sink) turns out to be a vicious, homophobic and unforgiving teenager.
Read on for everything you need to know about the upcoming movie The Whale, including when you’ll be able to watch it in the UK.
When is Brendan Fraser movie The Whale released in cinemas?
The Whale will be released in the US on 9th December 2022.
It officially premiered at the Venice Film Festival on 4th September.
Sadly, a UK release date is yet to be confirmed.
The Whale cast: Who stars in the movie alongside Brendan Fraser?
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The film stars Brendan Fraser in the lead role as Charlie, a severely obese English teacher.
Fraser donned a fat suit for the part, and recently spoke about the experience, revealing at the Venice conference: “I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all the appliances were removed; it was like stepping off the dock onto a boat in Venice.”
He continued: “That [sense of] undulating. It gave me appreciation for those whose bodies are similar. You need to be an incredibly strong person, mentally and physically, to inhabit that physical being.”
After the first images from the movie appeared online back in July 2022, a debate online was sparked about the use of fat suits in movies, with many claiming an actor of suitable proportions should have been hired.
However, Fraser recently addressed the controversy, revealing that the body suit used in The Whale is not a “one-note joke”.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, he said: “I looked at other body suits that had been used in comedies over the years, usually for a one-note joke.
“Whether intended or not, the joke is, it defies gravity. This was not that.”
The supporting cast includes Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) as Charlie’s estranged daughter Ellie, Ty Simpkins (Iron Man 3) as Mormon missionary Thomas, Hong Chau (Downsizing) as Charlie’s nurse Liz, and Samantha Morton (New York) as Charlie’s ex-wife Mary.
Meanwhile, behind the camera, Rob Simonsen (Foxcatcher) serves as the composer, while Matthew Libatique (Black Swan) acts as cinematographer.
The Whale movie plot
The Whale’s official synopsis reads: “A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.”
Is there a trailer for Brendan Fraser movie The Whale?
No, not yet.
The only promotional material we have been treated to is a single still from the film showing Fraser’s character Charlie sitting and looking anxious in his living room (above).
The Whale will premiere at 79th Venice International Film Festival in September 2022. Visit our Film hub for more news, interviews and features or find something to watch now with our TV Guide.
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