A24 has released the first trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s upcoming dramaThe Whale, starring Brendan Fraser and Sadie Sink.
The Whale, due out in December, tells the story of a 600-pound father, Charlie (Fraser), struggling to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter. The film has gotten a lot of attention both as another greatly anticipated film by Aronofsky (Black Swan,Requiem for a Dream) and for Fraser’s performance, which is already being discussed as Oscar-worthy. The film is adapted from a play by Samuel D. Hunter.
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The Whaletrailer begins with a visual montage of Charlie’s home, reflecting an isolated feel of a man driven to binge eat after the death of his lover. Sink plays Charlie’s daughter, Ellie. The cast is rounded out by Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, and Ty Simpkins. The film and Fraser’s performance have already collected much praise after screenings at Venice, Toronto, and London film festivals, including a6-minute standing ovation for Fraser in Venice. While simple and brief,The Whaletrailer’s voiceover by Charlie hints at a great deal of depth and thought in Fraser’s performance and a potential wild emotional ride for audiences.
Fans are eagerly looking forward to Fraser’s performance in a major release following a number of smaller roles and appearances over the past two decades. Fraser made his feature debut in 1991’sDogfight, following it up with a number ofpopular films likeThe Mummy(1999),George of the Jungle(1997), andBlast from the Past(1998). In recent years, Fraser has been open about his struggle with depression after his divorce and the death of his mother, as well as a much-publicized 2003 sexual assault allegation he made against Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk, which he believes essentially blacklisted him from many Hollywood opportunities.
Many have celebrated Fraser’s Hollywood comeback, which includes several recent high-profile projects like Steven Soderbergh’sNo Sudden Moveand Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.With plenty ofOscar buzz forThe Whaleafoot, this A24 release will no doubt draw audiences when it hits theatres in December, both due to Fraser’s performance and the studio’s reputation as one of the most dynamic film studios making movies today.
Aronofsky’s reputation as a director has been endlessly praised and reviled, particularly for his most recent release, 2017’sMother!, which featured Jennifer Lawrence as a young wife and mother whose home is besieged by a horrific and steadily increasing crowd of interlopers.
The Whalewill be released nationwide in theaters on June 25, 2025.
