Brendan Fraser (54) is making an impressive comeback: his comeback film "The Whale" has started in US cinemas with a record for the year. According to "Deadline", no film with a limited theatrical release made more money.

"The Whale" by Darren Aronofsky (53, "Black Swan") grossed 360,000 US dollars on its opening weekend. Vanishingly little compared to blockbusters. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" had a turnover of 253 million dollars in the USA in about three days in 2021. But "The Whale" was only shown in six cinemas in New York and Los Angeles. With that, each print of the film made a strong cut of $60,000.

The previous record holder for limited theatrical releases in 2022 was "Everything Everywhere All at Once". The multiverse spectacle subsequently became a big-screen hit. A good omen for The Whale, which like Everything Everywhere All at Once was produced by indie studio A24?

In the US, films that start with fewer than 600 copies are referred to as "limited release". Smaller indie films are usually brought to cinemas in this way. If successful, a broader evaluation can follow.

"The Whale" lives above all from the comeback narrative around Brendan Fraser. The actor, who became a star with "The Mummy", retired from the big stage around 2010. The reason he gave was injuries he had sustained through action scenes.

Fraser also suffered from depression. According to the actor, they were triggered, among other things, by the alleged sexual harassment in 2003 by Philip Berk (89), former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

His performance as a 700-pound, depressed ex-teacher is Brendan Fraser's first starring role in a long time. There was a standing ovation at the premiere in Venice. For the upcoming Oscars, Fraser is currently the top favorite for best actor.