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The Whale (2022 film) facts for kids

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The Whale (2022 film)
TheWhalePoster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Produced by
  • Jeremy Dawson
  • Ari Handel
  • Darren Aronofsky
Written by Samuel D. Hunter
Starring
Music by Rob Simonsen
Cinematography Matthew Libatique
Editing by Andrew Weisblum
Studio Protozoa Pictures
Distributed by A24
Release date(s) September 4, 2022 (2022-09-04) (Venice)
December 9, 2022 (2022-12-09) (United States)
Running time 117 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $3 million
Money made $36.7 million

The Whale is a 2022 American psychological drama film. It was directed by Darren Aronofsky and written by Samuel D. Hunter. The story is based on Hunter's own play from 2012.

The movie stars Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, and Samantha Morton. It tells the story of Charlie, an English teacher who lives alone and has serious health challenges because of his weight. He tries to fix his relationship with his teenage daughter, Ellie, whom he hasn't seen in a long time.

The Whale first showed at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2022. It was later released in some movie theaters in the United States on December 9, and then everywhere on December 21. Many people praised the acting, especially from Brendan Fraser and Hong Chau. Brendan Fraser won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role. The film also won an Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Main Characters in The Whale

This section introduces the main actors and the characters they play in the film.

  • Brendan Fraser plays Charlie. He is an English professor who lives by himself and struggles with his weight.
  • Sadie Sink plays Ellie. She is Charlie's daughter, and they have not been close for a while.
    • Jacey Sink plays Ellie when she was younger.
  • Ty Simpkins plays Thomas. He is a Christian missionary.
  • Hong Chau plays Liz. She is a nurse and Charlie's only friend.
  • Samantha Morton plays Mary. She is Charlie's ex-wife and Ellie's mother.
  • Sathya Sridharan plays Dan, a pizza delivery person.

Making the Movie

This part explains how The Whale was created, from writing the story to filming it.

Writing the Story and Choosing Actors

Director Darren Aronofsky said he wanted to make this film for over ten years. He found it hard to find the right actor to play Charlie. After seeing Brendan Fraser in a movie trailer, Aronofsky felt Fraser would be a good choice for the role.

On January 11, 2021, it was announced that A24 would release The Whale around the world. Darren Aronofsky would direct, and Brendan Fraser would star. In February, Hong Chau, Sadie Sink, and Samantha Morton joined the cast. Ty Simpkins joined in March.

Filming the Movie

The main filming for The Whale happened from March 8 to April 7, 2021. It took place in Newburgh, New York. After filming was done, the movie went into post-production in April.

For his role as Charlie, Brendan Fraser had to wear special prosthetics every day. These prosthetics made him look much larger and weighed a lot. He also worked with experts to understand how his character would move. He spent months preparing before filming began.

Release of The Whale

This section talks about when and where the movie was first shown to the public.

The Whale Venice
The cast, director, and writer at a press conference during the 2022 Venice Film Festival.

The Whale had its first showing at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2022. The audience gave it a six-minute standing ovation, which means they clapped for a long time. It was then shown in North America at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2022.

The movie was first released in a few theaters in the United States on December 9, 2022. Then, it was released in many more theaters on December 21. Later, the film became available to watch at home on February 21, 2023. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on March 14, 2023.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: La ballena para niños

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