The new, official The Whale trailer shows a deeper look at Brendan Fraser's Golden Globe-nominated performance. The film, which was directed by Darren Aronofsky and is receiving major Best Actor Oscar buzz, is adapted by Samuel D. Hunter from his own 2012 play of the same name. It follows an obese college professor whose life is in a downturn following the death of his male partner, for whom he had left his wife and child.
Today, A24 dropped the new official trailer for The Whale. It opens with a somber moment detailing the character's relationship to his own appearance as he teaches an English class over Zoom with his camera turned off. Then, it dives deep into his attempts to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter, played by Stranger Things breakout star Sadie Sink. Check out the trailer below:
Everyone Is Happy To See Brendan Fraser Succeed With The Whale
The Whale has drawn its share of criticism from across the entertainment sphere for its perpetuation of fatphobic narratives. This discussion complicates the film's path toward what many pundits believe to be an inevitable Oscar win for Fraser. However, one thing that viewers of the film tend to have been able to agree on is that the actor delivers a nuanced performance worthy of praise. Throughout its festival run before its initial limited theatrical release on December 9, the film received several minutes-long standing ovations.
Although Fraser has never really stopped working in prominent roles, he has stepped away from leading major films in the way he had earlier in his career, with tentpole blockbusters like The Mummy and comedies like George of the Jungle and Encino Man. His most recent major performances have largely been in the television space, particularly in the DC Comics HBO Max series Doom Patrol. Although his return to major films was complicated by the cancellation of DC's Batgirl, which would have featured him as the villainous character Firefly, The Whale seems to be making up for that absence in spades.
In fact, the film recently raked in the highest-grossing opening weekend for a limited release of the entire year. With a $60,000 pull in just six sold-out theaters, it outgrossed the previous record-holder, Everything Everywhere All At Once, which went on to become the highest grossing film ever put out by A24. The Whale has less broad audience appeal than that film, but its buzzy awards presence and the continued wide admiration of Fraser could cause it to become one of the leading box office lights of the 2023 Oscar season.
Source: A24