Brendan Fraser Will Play A 600lbs Man In A New A24 Movie
A24 and Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa Pictures are teaming up for the first time on the upcoming film The Whale with Brendan Fraser set to star and Aronofsky on board to direct.
A24 will have worldwide rights. MacArthur winning playwright, Samuel D. Hunter (Greater Clements) will adapt the film based on his critically- acclaimed 2012 play of the same name. The production was praised by the New York Times and won the Drama Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, GLAAD Media Award, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle nominations for Best Play.
Here is the synopsis of the play
In a run-down apartment in rural Idaho, surrounded by screens and food containers, a six-hundred pound recluse doggedly and determinedly eats himself to death. As he inches closer and closer the inevitable, his friend Liz, a cynical atheist nurse, and Elder Thomas, a young, hopeful Mormon missionary both attempt to find in Charlie the will to be saved, physically and spiritually. However, it is only Charlie’s estranged teenage daughter, the acerbic and bitter Ellie, who can make him see any kind of future beyond his current despair. In Ellie’s words -- stunningly honest, despite her constant barbs -- Charlie finds one last chance for redemption, and perhaps even a bit of hope.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a HUGE Brendan Fraser guy. We've talked about him on LCB forever, and even started a grassroots campaign to get him cast into Star Wars Ep IX back in 2017. We also interviewed him a few years ago for 'Doom Patrol', which is an awesome show by the way, and it was incredible. He thought my love for him was some sort of bit and was definitly cautious, but by the end of our time with him he got it. He started to tear up and gave me a big hug which is a top 5 moment of my life for certain.
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As for the actual material, I don't think my king should be playing a fat guy. But if that's what it takes to get him into the A24 fold, so be it. For those of you unfamiliar with Aronofsky, he is best known for freaky stuff like 'Pi' and 'Requiem for a Dream', as well as Oscar-contenders 'The Wrestler' and 'Black Swan'. He's also decently known for the time he dated Jennifer Lawrence, which culminated with them making the horrible movie 'mother!' and them breaking up.
I'm not familiar with the play, but this seems like a play that could be adapted into a movie without too much of a hitch. We actually interviewed Skylar Astin, who is a really big theater guy, on today's episode of LCB. We talked a lot about what sort of plays work well as movies and why some (I.E. CATS) crash and burn.