Brendan Fraser's 'The Whale' smashes $10 million at the domestic box office

A24's drama "The Whale" surpassed $10 million at the box office on Saturday national, a notable milestone for an independent film in the age of the pandemic.

In pre-COVID times, these ticket sales would not be particularly impressive. But the arthouse sector is struggling to bounce back as adult audiences remain more selective than ever about movie choices.

Participation for high-profile dramas, such as "Tár" ($5.7 million)," She Said" ($5.8 million), "Triangle of Sadness" ($4.1 million) and Women Talking ($393,985), range from disappointing to downright dismal. Steven Spielberg's latest 'The Fabelmans' doesn't go much higher than 'The Whale', with $13 million to date, while director Martin McDonagh's dark comedy 'The Banshees of Inisherin' has hauled in with 9 .1 million so far. But when it comes to 2022 releases, one independent single, A24's "Everything Everywhere All at Once," became an undisputed commercial success, grossing $100 million worldwide.

"The Whale", starring Brendan Fraser as a severely obese college professor, opened in limited release early December. It grossed $360,000 at six theaters (or $60,000 per screen), ranking as the highest per-theater average of 2022, as well as the second highest for a limited release since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 19.

"The Whale" had a staggered rollout in the following weeks, remaining on six screens during its second weekend, rising to 600 screens in its third, 625 in its fourth, 800 screens in its fifth weekend. In week six, it opened 1,500 theaters and, while waiting for award nominations, it will continue to increase its number of theaters in the new year.

Unlike "Tár", "Triangle of Sadness" and other acclaimed indies, "The Whale" managed to maintain momentum as it expanded its number of theaters. In terms of ticket buyers, "The Whale" is appealing beyond the traditional arthouse film, according to insiders. The most profitable theaters, as expected, are New York and Los Angeles art houses, but sources say it also successfully sells tickets at commercial chains in markets like Albuquerque, San Antonio, El Paso, Winnipeg and Pharr, Texas.

A24 hopes the Oscars will provide 'The Whale', which was produced for less than 10 million dollars, with a box office boost. Fraser is widely expected to land a lead actor nomination, but his prospects beyond that remain a question. Ahead of Oscar nominations, 'The Whale' received a PGA nod alongside blockbusters like 'Avatar: The Way of Water', 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' and 'Top Gun: Maverick' . At the SAG Awards, Fraser was honored in the Lead Actor category and his co-star Hong Chau was recognized in the Supporting Actress category.

Darren Aronofsky directed "The Whale," which received polarizing reviews and holds an average of 65 % Rotten Tomatoes. The film was more embraced by ticket buyers, with an audience score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's been able to stay in the conversation impressively since its buzzing debut at the Venice Film Festival, where an emotional Fraser captured a six-minute standing ovation from the audience.

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