The Brenaissance train has been moving full steam ahead, as Hollywood is once again fully embracing Brendan Fraser and handing him role after role following his extended acting hiatus. One role Fraser scored was of a 600-pound man named Charlie in the Darren Aronofsky-directed psychological drama The Whale. Not much had been shown from the A24 drama film, until now. As the Brenaissance continues, moviegoers now have their first look at Fraser in the movie, which is sure to be emotional.
A24 took its official Instagram account to reveal its entries for this year’s Venice Film Festival. Stars like Tilda Swinton, from Eternal Daughter, and Pearl’s Mia Goth were prominently featured. However, many fans' eyes were likely on Brendan Fraser, who looked almost unrecognizable in the first look at The Whale. Get a peek at the star's transformation by checking out the post down below:
The star definitely put in the work, from a physical standpoint, for this role, and you have to appreciate his commitment. In the movie, he plays a morbidly obese man who's trying to reconnect with his daughter after abandoning his family for his lover years ago. So the character’s physicality is a result of the pain and guilt associated with the whole ordeal. It’s also compounded by his lover’s recent death. One would think that a character like this would be a bit of a challenge for the Mummy alum.
The photo conveys a lot of the emotional weight that Brendan Fraser’s character is carrying, as you can even see it simply based on the expression on his face. The mere sight of the actor here gives one the impression that audiences will get to see a new side of him when the drama finally arrives. And who knows, maybe this film will lead to Oscar buzz for the Hollywood vet.
The Whale is just one of many movies the star has coming out over the next year. Along with the A24 drama, he'll star in Batgirl, in which he'll portray the villainous Firefly. The superhero film is set to arrive on HBO Max, though a release date has yet to be announced. 2023 is looking just as big for the 53-year-old actor, as he scored a role in the upcoming Etan Cohen-directed comedy Brothers with Josh Brolin. Fraser also joined Martin Scorsese’s latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. Fans of the Brenaissance may have even more to look forward to, as there have even been talks of making an Encino Man sequel.
Though no theatrical release has been announced for The Whale, the movie will officially premiere at the 79th Venice Film Festival this September. Brendan Fraser felt his comeback was the right decision, and it seems to be paying off it in a big way. You can keep up with Fraser's latest big-screen productions and more by checking out CinemaBlend's schedule of upcoming movies.
