Director Darren Aronofsky (mother!) and actor Brendan Fraser (The Mummy) will collaborate in a new film by A24.
The film, titled The Whale, will be an adaption of the 2012 play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter. The play chronicles the life of Charlie, a 600-pound hermit living in Idaho, whose only solace in life is the potential to reconnect with his estranged daughter.
In an interview with Deadline about the project, Hunter, whose original play won a GLAAD Media Award, said that writing the screenplay had been “a real labour of love”, and expressed his delight at Aronofsky picking up the project: “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.”
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Little else is known about The Whale as of yet, including who will play Fraser’s daughter, although much has been made of a potential renaissance of his career. His return to the limelight following time away started with a supporting role in DC Comics’ Doom Patrol TV series in 2019, and is set to continue with a role in Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming crime thriller, No Sudden Move.
How it will handle such a potentially sensitive subject is yet to be seen, but with a director as acclaimed as Aronofsky at the helm and the original play’s writer handling the script, it’s sure to be worth a watch.
Words by Luke Hinton
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