The Brenaissance continues with beloved actor Brendan Fraser set to lead The Whale, an upcoming drama from director directed by Darren Aronofsky, and we now have confirmation of a release date and new image from the project. Coming courtesy of Vanity Fair, it has been revealed that The Whale will be released in theaters later this year on December 9. Alongside this welcome news, we also have our first look at Stranger Things star Sadie Sink who will portray the estranged daughter of Brendan Fraser’s character Charlie.

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A24/Vanity Fair

Brendan Fraser will lead Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, which tells the story of a 600-pound middle-aged man named Charlie who tries to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter. Sadie Sink, who is best known for starring in Netflix’s Stranger Things and the Fear Street trilogy, will star as Ellie, Charlie's daughter, with the two becoming estranged after Charlie abandoned his family for his gay lover, who later died, resulting in him binge-eating out of pain and guilt.

Written by Samuel D. Hunter and based on his play of the same name, The Whale stars Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, and Ty Simpkins alongside Brendan Fraser and Sadie Sink.

The Whale, and more specifically Brendan Fraser’s performance in it, is already receiving a lot of attention from awarding bodies. It was recently revealed that the movie will screen at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, where Fraser will be honored with the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance. "Brendan Fraser gives a performance of staggering depth, power, and nuance in The Whale,” TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said in a statement. “This former Torontonian has been an action star, a screen comic, and a romantic lead. We’re thrilled to welcome him home as the actor behind one of the finest performances of the year."

Sadie Sink Has Called Brendan Fraser Her Favorite Human on the Planet

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A24

There has been a lot of well-deserved love for Brendan Fraser lately, and Sadie Sink is no exception, with the actress heaping praise on her The Whale co-star. “Yeah, for sure. I don’t think I’d ever done a project that had that much character work,” she began. “Darren Aronofsky is obviously brilliant, and working with him was a really formative experience, and Brendan is so incredible in it, and also just probably my favorite human on the planet. It was so amazing having that experience with him. I learned a lot about myself as an actress, and tapped into a side of things that I hadn’t really explored before.”

The Whale is expected to put the spotlight on Fraser in a way we have never seen before, with the actor offering some insight into his transformation. “The real task was to authentically create this character with all the tools we have with makeup, prosthetics, suit building, and a little bit of CGI to ensure that the shape of this man’s body obeys the laws of physics and gravity,” he said. “I can attest that this project was made by artisans in each and every category.”

The Whale is due to debut at the Venice Film Festival on September 4, and will then be released in theaters on December 9, by A24.