Brendan Fraser, 53, became famous in the late 90s for starring in hits such as the “The Mummy” franchise and the movie “George, King of the Forest” (1997).
The star, however, went 12 years without playing major characters in major films, until director Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”) cast him to star in the drama “The Whale.”
The film, which is scheduled to be released in early December in the United States, has garnered a standing ovation at film festivals around the world. The actor and the film are already bets by specialized critics for awards such as the Oscars and the Golden Globes.
“The Whale” tells the story of an obese teacher who decides to eat himself to death, at the same time he decides to reconnect with his teenage daughter, played by Sadie Sink (“Stranger Things”).
Aronofsky chose Fraser for the lead role after watching the trailer for a movie shot in Brazil and starring the actor. The filmmaker spoke about the matter in an interview with Variety magazine and said he noticed a “vulnerable, dark” quality in the actor when he saw the video.
“A few years ago, I saw the trailer for a Brazilian movie, a low-budget movie. I saw Brendan in the trailer and a light went on in my head. I didn’t see ‘Gods and Monsters’ or ‘George, King of the Forest’ I saw him there and it all made sense. I asked Brendan to meet me… It all continued to make sense.”
The movie mentioned by Aronofsky is “12 Hours until Sunrise”, released in 2006.
Directed by Eric Eason (“Manito”), the feature film takes place in Brazil and was shot in the cities of São Paulo, Santos and Ubatuba.
Brendan Fraser and Scott Glenn in ’12 Hours to Dawn’
Image: Publicity/Image Films
In addition to Brendan Fraser, the film stars Scott Glenn (“Silence of the Lambs”), Mos Def (“16 Blocks”), Catalina Sandino Moreno (“Maria Cheia de Graça”), in addition to Brazilian actors Matheus Nachtergaele (“Cidade de Deus”), Alice Braga (“Eu Sou a Lenda”) and Milhem Cortaz (“Elite Squad”).
In the story, Paul (Fraser) and his father (Glenn) are American exiles in Brazil, who own a brothel in São Paulo. They have a big chance to change their lives after a customer dies and leaves a folder worth millions of dollars. The situation, however, gets complicated after the Nigerian dishwasher Wemba (Mos Def) is stolen during the transaction. All the suspense takes place in a single night.
See the trailer below:
