Darren Aronofsky and A24 are a match made in Hollywood heaven. Can you believe they have never made a film together? Well, that is about to change as they will team on The Whale. Aronofsky's first film since Mother, The Whale is an adaptation of the stage play by Samuel D. Hunter who will write the script for the feature film. The play, which had been labeled as a critical success in 2012, has won a series of awards, with prizes that include the Drama Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, GLAAD Media Award, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle nominations for Best Play.
Shockingly, Aronofsky has set Brendan Fraser (The Mummy trilogy, Encino Man, Doom Patrol) to lead the film. If you ask me, The Whale tells a story that sounds like it could be one hell of an Oscar contender.
Here's the official logline:
From Darren Aronofsky comes THE WHALE, the story of a reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption. Starring Brendan Fraser and based on the acclaimed play by Samuel D. Hunter.
“Adapting my play into a screenplay has been a real labor of love for me,” said Hunter. “This story is deeply personal and I’m very thankful it will have the chance to reach a wider audience. I’ve been a fan of Darren’s ever since I saw Requiem for a Dream when I was a college freshman writing my first plays, and I’m so grateful that he’s bringing his singular talent and vision to this film.”
Fraser, who has had a career resurgence thanks to Danny Boyle's FX series Trust and a starring role on the DC Comics series Doom Patrol, will have his biggest feature role in a long time and one that sounds like it could rival his Oscar-worthy role in Gods and Monsters. Will this be the start of a major comeback for Fraser? I certainly hope so.