The Whale is set to nearly double its box office in a single weekend over the New Year’s holiday. The film, directed by Darren Aronofsky, is based on the Samuel D. Hunter play of the same name and opened in limited theaters on December 9, earning the highest per-theater average of any limited release of the year. The story follows a professor (Fraser) who experiences depression and compulsive overeating following the death of his partner while attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Stranger Things breakout star Sadie Sink) in the apartment that he is unwilling to leave.
Per Deadline, The Whale‘s considerable box office opening will be followed up by another feat when it all but doubles its box office take in a single weekend. By the end of the Christmas holiday weekend, the film had already grossed $3.17 million. However, as it expands to an additional 20 theaters this weekend (for a total of 623), the film is now projected to earn an additional $2 million over the 4-day New Year holiday weekend, bringing its cumulative domestic gross to $6.4 million.
Brendan Fraser’s Oscar Chances Keep Getting Better and Better
The Whale‘s box office can’t exactly compete with wide-release giants like entries from Marvel Cinematic Universe and this month’s smash hit Avatar: The Way of Water (which is currently playing in nearly seven times the amount of theaters). However, this is a tremendous box office result for an adult drama that will likely only increase the further it gets into awards season. Fraser has been the frontrunner for the Best Actor race at the Oscars for quite some time, and with every week that passes his chances look better.
The Oscar nominations won’t be announced until January 24, 2023. However, the Golden Globes are viewed as a predictor of what performers and films will be getting Oscar nominations. Although Fraser will not be attending the Golden Globes 2023 ceremony, as he has alleged that the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association groped and assaulted him at an awards luncheon, he did earn a nomination for his role in The Whale.
This box office for The Whale will help boost Fraser’s chances of winning the Oscar, as well. While box office doesn’t directly translate to awards wins, it does mean that a broader swath of the population has seen the film, which does tend to have influence over Academy voters’ decisions. It seems more or less inevitable that Fraser will at least be nominated come January, though he will likely face some tough competition from Austin Butler’s performance in Elvis, another very buzzy cinematic outing from 2022.
Source: Deadline