The Brendan Fraser comeback film The Whale has broken a box office record for 2022. The latest from celebrated director Darren Aronofsky, The Whale is adapted from the play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter and stars Fraser as an obese professor who is working to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Sadie SInk). Although the film has drawn criticism for perpetuating fatphobic narrative tropes, its run at festivals has kept the industry buzzing with high praise for Fraser's performance, and the star has been at the center of a string of enthusiastic standing ovations that have lasted minutes on end.
Per Deadline, during The Whale's opening weekend in limited release, the film grossed $360,000 across six theaters. This has resulted in a per-screen average of $60,000, beating out its distributor A24's previous success Everything Everywhere All At Once to become the highest-grossing limited release opening of 2022. Considering the fact that Everything Everywhere All At Once went on to become the highest-grossing film that A24 has ever released, this could spell very good news for The Whale's prospects once it opens in more theaters.
What Does This Box Office Performance Mean for The Whale's Oscar Chances?
Although it seems more or less guaranteed that Brendan Fraser will be nominated for an Oscar for his buzzy comeback performance, it is less clear if The Whale will be nominated for any other major awards during the ceremony. Pundits are not currently predicting that the film has a chance to be nominated for one of the 10 Best Picture slots. Currently, the films expected to nab that honor include the Steven Spielberg semi-autobiographical drama The Fabelmans, the Martin McDonagh comedy The Banshees of Inisherin, and the Cate Blanchett character study Tár.
However, this box office result could help turn the tide for The Whale's potential Best Picture nomination. Although Oscar nominations are not directly correlated with a film's box office performance, a strong theatrical showing does draw the attention of awards bodies, and high-grossing films like Titanic, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and Avatar have all taken home gold in addition to their eye-catching box office receipts. Indeed, other high-grossing films of the year are currently in strong contention for Best Picture nominations, including the record-shattering legacy sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Another film that is in contention based on its widespread success and popularity is Everything Everywhere All At Once. Should The Whale have a theatrical trajectory in any way similar to its A24 companion, it might rise in the esteem of the Academy just in time for Oscar shortlist voting to close on December 15. Only time will tell on that front, but it does seem more or less guaranteed that the Brendan Fraser vehicle will continue turning in strong dividends through the end of the year.
Source: Deadline