By now, Brendan Fraser's return to Hollywood is no big news, but getting his first lead role in cinema ever since going on hiatus definitely is, especially when it's a big part like the one he’ll be playing in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale.
Fraser was one of the most well-known faces in movies during the late '90s and early '00s, starring in movies such as George of the Jungle and The Mummy, and though his popularity ultimately waned, he only started to fade completely from the spotlight in 2015. That was until Doom Patrol came out and a series of interviews in 2018 shone a light for fans about his personal life, where he explained that an episode of sexual harassment and his divorce was what forced him to take a break, but now he’s become quite a beloved talent once more.
In the light of that, and because Fraser's acting capabilities have rarely been questioned, Aronofsky cast him for his new film The Whale. The film follows the story of an obese middle-aged man named Charlie, who tries to rekindle the relationship with his teenage daughter after abandoning his family for a gay partner. The Whale will premiere at this year’s 79th Venice International Film Festival in September, where Fraser will be one of the actors in the spotlight due to his partial physical transformation to play the 600-pound (272Kg) man.
Although Fraser no longer possesses the physique from his younger days, and he’s obviously gained some weight with the years, the actor did wear a “fat suit” and tons of makeup to look the part. This was probably to avoid any potential health risk, just like Colin Farrell did when he played the unrecognizable Penguin in The Batman. Other notable upcoming roles for Fraser include the supervillain Firefly in HBO Max's Batgirl and a part in Martin Scorsese's Killer of the Flower Moon.
Judging from Aronofsky's past work on films like Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, Black Swan, and Mother! - plus this movie’s evidently dense synopsis - The Whale should be precisely the type of movie that allows Fraser's talent to shine. The Whale also stars Sadie Sink as Charlie's daughter, Hong Chau, and Samantha Morton.
As for Fraser's role in Batgirl, the streaming-only movie made by Ms. Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah is expected to be added to HBO Max in late 2022, where fans will get to enjoy Fraser's antics as a villain.
The Whale is scheduled to premiere in September 2022.
Source: A24/Twitter