The first trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s next picture The Whale will debut in just a few days. The 2012 play by Samuel D. Hunter may not deviate from the director of Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, Black Swan, and his latest film, mother! which is noted for its boldness, relentlessness, intensity, and viscerally. The upcoming drama will have its world premiere on September 4 at the Venice Film Festival and is anticipated to be a major awards season contender, especially for Brendan Fraser’s transformative lead performance. It makes sense that A24 is planning to release the movie on December 9 to coincide with the middle of Oscar consideration.
It is unknown whether or not this day will be a one-time-only event or part of a larger rollout. The publishing date was announced in Vanity Fair’s in-depth article exploring the process of creating this personal character study. The timing of the film’s release makes it suitable for year-end best-of lists as well as awards consideration. While it is still too early to tell whether or not this film will live up to critics’ and audiences’ high hopes, there’s reason to think that Fraser’s performance will be among the year’s most lauded so far: a little over a week ago, it was announced that Fraser would be honoured with this year’s Tribute Award for Performance at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Previous recipients of this festival’s top acting honour include Oscar winners Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) and Joaquin Phoenix (Joker). Even if this doesn’t ensure Fraser will win an Oscar, it does indicate that he’s well on his way to receiving accolades from the industry. Aronofsky is no new to having his Oscar nominations and wins be the topic of debate during awards season. Oscar winners included Black Swan’s Natalie Portman for her entrancing performance as the protagonist, while The Wrestler’s Mickey Rourke and Requiem for a Dream’s Ellen Burstyn were also recognised for their achievements.
To suggest that Aronofsky’s films haven’t always been to the liking of the Academy would be an understatement. mother! The Fountain and Noah were all passed over for Oscar consideration this year, suggesting that their symbolic and/or radical nature was too much for voters to take in. The Whale seems like it will be more muted and stark than the highly artistic director’s other works, which might work in its favour come awards season. Of course, come the movie’s release in early September, we’ll have a much clearer notion of what to expect from The Whale. The revised release date, though, indicates that it will compete for attention. On December 9th, you can see The Whale in cinemas.