The first trailer for The Whale debuted on Tuesday, giving people an extended look at actor Brendan Fraser's comeback role.
The new feature from director Darren Aronofsky has garnered a lot of buzz on the film festival circuit, and many critics have said Fraser could be in line for an Academy Award nomination.
Fraser, 53, donned a "fat suit" for the role of Charlie, a school teacher who is trying to rebuild a relationship with his teenage daughter (Stranger Things star Sadie Sink). The film, which arrives in theaters on December 9, also stars Hong Chau, Samantha Morton and Ty Simpkins.
"Do you ever get the feeling people are incapable of not caring?" an emotional Fraser says in the trailer between stark images. "People are amazing."
Though Fraser has been heralded for what's being called an impressive performance, he has also been the brunt of controversy. Some people have been vocal about their opposition to the actor wearing a weight-increasing prosthetic to portray Charlie.
Fraser recently addressed the criticism when he spoke to Newsweek from the U.K. premiere of The Whale as part of the BFI London Film Festival last month.
"I'm not a small man. And I don't know what the metric is to qualify to play the role. I only know that I had to give as honest a performance as I can," Fraser told Newsweek.
He added, "I'm hopeful that we can change some hearts and minds at least in terms of how we think and feel about those who live with obesity."
Aronofsky also asked people to withhold their opinions about Fraser and the fat suit until they see the film.
"There's no way you can cast someone to play this job, so we had to use makeup to get there," Aronofsky told Newsweek. "Most of the people that are playing critique have not seen the film. So I welcome everyone to see the film because the film is about bringing empathy to characters that you don't expect to feel for."
The Whale marks a major return for Fraser. After being one of Hollywood's biggest stars with such hits as The Mummy, George of the Jungle and Bedazzled, the actor hasn't played a lead role in a major feature in 12 years.
The project is Aronofsky's first picture since Mother!, which was released in 2017. Among his acclaimed films are Pi, Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler. He earned an Academy Award directing nomination for 2010's Black Swan, while Natalie Portman took home an Oscar for her role in the psychological horror film.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jon Jackson is an Associate Editor at Newsweek based in New York. His focus is on reporting on the Ukraine ... Read more
