The Whale, which is already an awards darling and is hoping for further success at the Oscars – at least for lead actor Brendan Fraser – could have almost looked very different. The least likely name you can possibly think of – James Corden, of all people – was at one point set to star in The Whale, with Tom Ford to direct.
Pete Hammond, writing in Deadline, says that Corden told him; “I was going to play that part, and Tom Ford was going to direct,” he added that it ultimately didn’t happen because Ford wanted more complete control of the project. Corden also thinks he may have been too young to do it justice.”
Hammond continues; “He then told me George Clooney also got involved with it at one point but only wanted to make the film if an actual 600-pound unknown could be found to play the lead role. The complications of that were too much, as you might imagine, and Clooney never became involved beyond that brief flirtation with the property.”
Hammond says that The Whale director Darren Aronofsky confirmed that what Corden says is true; “When I talked with Aronofsky recently I casually asked him about what Corden told me and he confirmed all of it. James Corden in The Whale? Who knows what that would have been like?”
Tom Ford is best known as a fashion designer, but he has directed two movies – the critically-acclaimed A Single Man starring Colin Firth, and the more controversial Nocturnal Animals starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal.
While we gear up for the final couple of months of awards season, check out our guide to best drama movies.