Fans were ready when The Whale had its release in limited theaters this weekend, a sign that the film will be pulling in high numbers when it starts playing in more locations. Per Variety, the film, which features Brendan Fraser in a role that some are saying will earn him a nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars, grossed $360,000 in just six theaters. That translates to an average of $60,000 per screen, which sets the new record as the highest per-theater average for 2022. This breaks the previous record set by fellow A24 film Everything Everywhere All at Once, which nabbed a $50,000 per-screen average.
“There is still a long way to go, but so far this season, audiences are mostly staying home for the year-end awards films,” Franchise Entertainment Researcher owner David A. Gross is quoted as saying in the report, noting how The Whale has been the exception to the rule.
The Whale held its World Premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. Ever since its early screenings, it has been in the conversation for the Oscars, especially in regard to lead star Brendan Fraser. Reviews are a bit mixed for the film, but even critics who aren’t so keen on the movie’s other aspects seem to be in agreement that Fraser does an incredible job with the role. As a result, there’s been a lot of chatter that he’ll be up for Best Actor at many award shows next year, most notably the Academy Awards.
Brendan Fraser: Will He Win an Oscar for The Whale?
A24
The film is directed by Darren Aronofsky and penned by Samuel D. Hunter, who also wrote the original stage show the movie is based on. It stars Fraser as Charlie, a 600-pound recluse whose health is rapidly declining. After abandoning his family years prior to pursue a new life with his now-deceased gay lover, Charlie hopes to reconnect with his teenage daughter (Sadie Sink, Stranger Things) before it’s too late. Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, and Samantha Morton also star.
“I just know that I feel I have been changed in a sense that I really want to work on projects that, honestly, I just care more about,” Fraser recently explained in a Collider interview about what he’s taken away from playing the challenging role. “I love to make people laugh. I love to have something exciting or interesting or innovative happen when I work on a film, but if there’s something there that can speak to a broader common humanity that we all share, I want to be a part of something like that.”
The Whale is currently screening in limited locations in New York and Los Angeles. It will open up nationwide on Dec. 21, 2022. For a sneak peek at the movie, you can check out A24’s official trailer below.
