Batgirl Co-Director Congratulates Brendan Fraser for the Standing Ovation in Venice: Says ‘He Deserves the Best’

Batgirl Co-Director Celebrates Brendan Fraser

Actor Brendan Fraser just recently made his comeback, and it has been nothing short of praiseworthy. The audience has already dubbed his comeback as “Brenaissance.” “The Mummy” actor has returned while heading new projects in Hollywood on the small and big screens, notably playing Charlie in Darren Aronofsky’s ‘The Whale’ and as Firefly in DC’s unfortunately scrapped ‘Batgirl.’

Speaking of Batgirl, one of the co-directors shared an appreciation message for Fraser as the actor received a 6-minute standing ovation for his outstanding performance in ‘The Whale’, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

The Venice Film Festival needs no introduction, as everyone knows that for a movie to make its mark on the world premiere, it has to perform well here, all the while aiming for the Awards Season supremacy. Co-director of Batgirl, Adil El Arbi, also became a part of hugely celebrating the actor’s most recent work.

Adil El Arbi shared the following video of Fraser on his Instagram story as the actor took in the thunderous applause and got emotional, along with a heartwarming message for Fraser:

“It was a great honor to work with this fantastic person! He deserves the BEST!!!”

Adil El Arabi Praise Fraser

Adil El Arbi, along with Bilall Fallah was serving as co-directors for the Leslie Grace-starrer ‘Batgirl’, which Warner Bros. Discovery shelved eventually after the companies’ merger last month. Fraser would’ve played the villain in Batgirl through the role of Garfield Lynns aka Firefly.

‘The Whale’ starred Fraser as the main lead Charlie who happens to be a 600-pound man having a hard time reconnecting with his daughter, played by Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink, after abandoning his family. The film also stars Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton, and Hong Chau. The movie is directed by Darren Aronofsky and scripted by Samuel D. Hunter, who also penned the play and the feature film itself.

While talking to the media at the Venice Film Festival, ‘The Whale’ actor recounted his experience:

“I developed muscles I did not know I had. I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all the appliances were removed; it was like stepping off the dock onto a boat in Venice. That [sense of] undulating. It gave me appreciation for those whose bodies are similar. You need to be an incredibly strong person, mentally and physically, to inhabit that physical being.”

He also said:

“The torso piece was almost like a strait jacket with sleeves that went on, airbrushed by hand, to look identical as would human skin, right down to the hand-punched hair.”

According to Fraser, playing Charlie was the most challenging role of his entire career by far.

Are you looking forward to watching Brendan Fraser’s comeback? Let us know!

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On the other hand, had Batgirl been released, we would’ve gotten to see Leslie Grace star as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, J.K Simmons would’ve reprised his role as Commissioner James Gordon, and legendary star Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman once more. Apart from these notable names, the cast included Alysia Yeoh, Rebecca Front, Jacob Scipio, Ethan Kai, and Corey Johnson.

With Batgirl off the market, the DC vs. Marvel movies tussle continues, given that the latter has a huge timeline of shows in the near future and DC’s future remains sort of bleak.

In a recent interview, Fraser appreciated his co-star Leslie Grace by saying,

“Leslie Grace is her namesake. She’s dynamic. She gave a great performance. She’s a stone-cold professional. You’re going to see more from her. And I’m looking forward to it.”

Fraser rose to fame through George of the Jungle (1997), but it wasn’t until the box office franchise “The Mummy,” he was widely recognized. The actor outshined plenty of stars as the leading man in the 2010s. He even took on smaller screen roles like in The Affair (@016 – 2017).

Last year, Fraser had a supporting role in No Sudden Move (2021); however, his comeback through The Whale (2022) marks his return in a starring role since Breakout (2013). You can look forward to seeing more of Fraser in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).

The Whale will be released in the United States on December 9th.

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