The early reviews for The Whale suggest that Brendan Fraser will be a serious contender for Best Actor at the Academy Awards next year. Set to hit theaters in December, the Darren Aronofsky-directed film stars Fraser in what could be his most challenging and emotional role yet. He plays a 600-pound recluse who, after abandoning his family years prior for a new life with a gay lover, hopes to reconnect with his teenage daughter (Sadie Sink) before it’s too late.
Previously, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson posted on social media about the attention Fraser had been getting based on his acclaimed performance in the film. He also shared the video of Fraser receiving a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival that brought him to tears. In a new chat with MTV News (via ScreenRant), Johnson reiterated his support for Fraser, going so far as to say he wants to see his Mummy Returns co-star standing on stage at the Oscars next year with that golden statue in his hand. As The Rock puts it:
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Brendan Fraser Didn’t Even Meet The Rock During Filming of The Mummy Returns
The Rock may be appreciative of Brendan Fraser vouching for him when it came to The Mummy Returns. That decision is perhaps made all the more special by the fact that the two actors wouldn’t even be working together on the set. With CGI being used to incorporate Johnson’s character for his scenes with Fraser, they were not in the same building at the same time when it came to filming, though Fraser nevertheless appreciates this recent love from The Rock.
“I thought that was really nice of him," Fraser said of Johnson’s support, via Variety. “The first time I met him was at the reception after The Mummy Returns, and we hadn’t met in person before that actually although we were fighting on screen. Every time I worked with him, he was just a piece of tape on a stick, so it was nice to go hey man how are you? We finally meet.”
The Whale will be released in theaters on Dec. 9, 2022.
