A24 has shared a new trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s upcoming film, The Whale. The film made waves on the festival circuit, earlier this year, for the performance from Brendan Fraser.
Fraser stars as a “reclusive English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter," according to the official synopsis.
“I developed muscles I did not know I had,” Fraser said at the Venice Film Festival, as noted by Variety. “I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all the appliances were removed; it was like stepping off the dock onto a boat in Venice. That [sense of] undulating. It gave me appreciation for those whose bodies are similar. You need to be an incredibly strong person, mentally and physically, to inhabit that physical being.”
While Fraser's performance has warranted critical praise, many have complained about him being neither gay nor obese yet playing a character who is both.
“There was a chapter in the making of this film where we tried to research actors with obesity,” Aronofsky said in response to the backlash. “Outside of not being able to find an actor who could pull off the emotions of the role, it just becomes a crazy chase. Like, if you can’t find a 600-pound actor, is a 300-pound actor or 400-pound actor enough?”
In addition to Brendan Fraser, the film stars Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, and Ty Simpkins. It is scheduled to hit theaters on December 9. It will be Aronofsky’s first feature film since 2017's Mother!
Check out the trailer for The Whale below.
[Via]