Brendan Fraser Will Star in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale

Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky’s adaptation of Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale—a Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel award-winning play about a 600lb middle-aged man and his estranged relationship with his teenage daughter—is heading to A24 with a hot star already set. Enthusiastic clapper and The Mummy franchise lead Brendan Fraser will headline the film.

Fraser is set to play Charlie, the film’s protagonist, who develops a compulsive eating habit after the death of his gay lover—for whom he’s abandoned his family. Aronofsky could definitely change the plot, but that sounds reasonably dark for the director’s body of work.

While Fraser garnered some acclaim for his performances in shows like Trust and Doom Patrol, he has yet to reclaim the cinematic familiarity and renown that he possessed in the early 2000s. Aronofsky’s project will give him ample opportunity to redefine himself and the course of his career. Aronofsky’s most recent film, 2017’s mother!, was released to mixed reception—but it was certainly talked about. Still, his 2010 psychological horror Black Swan (which earned him a Best Director Oscar nomination) dominates his filmography. That said, Aronofsky’s keen eye for the macabre and Fraser’s delve into dramatic performance are likely to generate an intriguing feature.