The Whale: Everything We Know About The Upcoming A24 Drama

gamerant.com:

Upcoming A24 drama The Whale marks Darren Aronofsky's first directorial effort since Mother! in 2017. It also signals the beginning of actor Brendan Fraser's career resurgence, lovingly dubbed The Brenaissance by fans. Written by Samuel D. Hunter, and based on his play of the same name, the movie paints a sensitive portrait of a reclusive English teacher who struggles with severe obesity and a strained relationship with his teenage daughter.

Set to premiere later this year, it will join the ranks of similarly heartfelt emotional A24 dramas, such as The Farewell and Minari. With great performances to look forward to, here is everything we know about The Whale so far.

Brendan Fraser Transforms Into A 600-Pound Man In A24's The Whale

There is no trailer for The Whale yet, but fortunately, Hunter's play provides all the information there is to know about the film's story. The critically acclaimed play debuted off-Broadway in 2012 and went on to win several awards, including a Lucille Lortel Award for Best Play and GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding New York Theater. The obese man referred to in the movie's synopsis is Charlie, who weighs 600 pounds and works as an online writing teacher. Charlie is described as self-loathing and self-deprecating, with his weight being the result of the guilt he felt after abandoning his family for his gay lover, who later died.

Other characters in the play include his estranged teenage daughter, Ellie; his ex-wife, Mary; his longtime nurse friend, Liz; and a young Mormon missionary named Elder Thomas. The play sees Charlie attempting to rebuild his relationship with Ellie for one last chance at redemption. A Chicago Tribune review of The Whale describes it as «devastating» but also «very funny,»