The Whale Movie Details:
Based on | The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Drama |
Release date | September 4, 2022 (Venice) December 9, 2022 (United States) |
Running time | 1hr 57min |
Age rating | R |
Starring | Brendan Fraser Sadie Sink Hong Chau Ty Simpkins Samantha Morton |
Directed by | Darren Aronofsky |
Written by | Samuel D. Hunter |
Produced by | Jeremy Dawson Ari Handel Darren Aronofsky |
Cinematography by | Matthew Libatique |
Edited by | Andrew Weisblum |
Music by | Rob Simonsen |
Production Company | Protozoa Pictures |
Distributor | A24 |
The Whale Movie Cast & Characters:
- Brendan Fraser as Charlie, a morbidly obese and reclusive English instructor
- Sadie Sink as Ellie, Charlie’s estranged biological daughter
- Jacey Sink as young Ellie
- Hong Chau as Liz, a nurse who is Charlie’s only friend
- Ty Simpkins as Thomas, a Christian missionary
- Samantha Morton as Mary, Charlie’s ex-wife and Ellie’s estranged mother
- Sathya Sridharan as Dan, a pizza delivery man from a restaurant Charlie frequently orders from
Storyline:
An obese and reclusive English professor tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.
The Whale Movie Budget & Box Office Collection:
Budget | $3 million |
Worldwide Collection | $57.6 million |
About The Whale Movie:
The Whale is an American drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and written by Samuel D. Hunter. The film stars Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, and Hong Cha.
The film is based on his 2012 play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter.
Principal photography for the film began from March 8 to April 7, 2021, in Newburgh, New York. Post-production began later in April.
For the role, Brendan Fraser spent four hours each day being fitted with prosthetics that weighed up to 300 pounds (136 kg). He also consulted with the Obesity Action Coalition and worked with a dance instructor for months before filming began in order to determine how his character would move with the excess weight.
It is Darren Aronofsky’s first film distributed by film studio A24.
The Whale premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2022. The film had a limited theatrical release in the US on December 9, before a wide release on December 21 by A24, grossing $54.9 million against a budget of $3 million.
The film received a polarized response; though critics lauded the acting, particularly Fraser, Chau, and Sink, the film’s portrayal of obesity-related struggles drew criticism. For his performance, Fraser won the Academy Award, Critics’ Choice Award and SAG Award for Best Actor, while the film also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Chau was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
The film was released on VOD platforms on February 21, 2023, and was released on Blu-ray and DVD on March 14, 2023.