Nearly a month after the project was first announced with Brendan Fraser (Doom Patrol) set as the lead, Darren Aronofsky’s adaptation of The Whale at A24 has continued to expand its cast with the addition of Golden Globe-nominated Watchmen alum Hong Chau, according to Deadline.
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Based on Samuel D. Hunter’s acclaimed 2012 play, the story is set on the outskirts of Mormon Country, Idaho, and centers on a six-hundred-pound recluse as he hides away in his apartment eating himself to death. Desperate to reconnect with his long-estranged daughter, he reaches out to her, only to find a viciously sharp-tongued and wildly unhappy teen. Chau is currently set to star as Fraser’s best friend, while sources report that Aronofsky is also in talks with Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead) and Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) to join the cast, the latter of whom would portray Fraser’s daughter in the film.
“Adapting my play into a screenplay has been a real labor of love for me,” Hunter previously said in a statement. “This story is deeply personal and I’m very thankful it will have the chance to reach a wider audience. I’ve been a fan of Darren’s ever since I saw Requiem for a Dream when I was a college freshman writing my first plays, and I’m so grateful that he’s bringing his singular talent and vision to this film.”
Hunter will adapt the play, which won the Drama Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play and a GLAAD Media Award, for the screen while Aronofsky is set to direct and co-produce via his Protozoa Pictures alongside A24.
The Oscar-nominated writer/director last sat in the director’s chair for the 2017 psychological horror pic mother! starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem, which received largely polarized reviews from critics but was generally scorned by audiences, earning a notorious “F” rating on CinemaScore, one of only 22 films to receive such a score.
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