If The Whale had been made with its previous director and star attached, would it be generating the same Oscar buzz as the new adaptation from Darren Aronofsky and Brendan Fraser? Recently released in theaters by A24, The Whale is directed by Aronofsky and stars Fraser in the lead role. The film has been speculated to give Fraser his first Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards, standing out as one of the most talked about movies of the year.
The Whale is based on an original stage show by Samuel D. Hunter, who also penned the screenplay for the feature film adaptation. But before Aronofsky picked up the rights to the movie, there was a different plan in place to adapt the story. In a new interview with Deadline, The Late Late Show host James Corden revealed when The Whale was mentioned that he was going to play Fraser's character in a version of the film that wound up fizzling out. He also claimed that Nocturnal Animals helmer Tom Ford was on board to direct.
"I was going to play that part, and Tom Ford was going to direct," Corden told the outlet.
Deadline also reportedly confirmed Corden's story with Aronofsky, who verified the claims. As for why that version of The Whale sunk in development hell, Corden says it was because Ford wanted to have more complete control of the project. He also says that George Clooney was looking to get involved at one point, but his idea was to cast "an actual 600-pound unknown" to play the part. In any case, while the adaptation with Corden crumbled, the funnyman suggests that it was perhaps all for the best, as he believes he would have been too young to do the role justice at that point in his life.
James Corden Has Moved On from The Whale
This isn't the only role Corden has missed out on. He also recently said he auditioned for Sean Astin's role in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, but he was passed over for that one as well. But Corden has nevertheless been picking up different acting roles in the years since. He has appeared in movies like The Three Musketeers, Yesterday, and Cats. Most recently, he can be seen in the Prime Video series Mammals which he also executive produces. Corden is also set to leave The Late Late Show in 2023, which could end up in seeing him cast in more movies and TV shows.
The Whale is now playing in movie theaters. You can watch the trailer for the film below.