Brendan Fraser in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale

Actor Brendan Fraser will star in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky directorial, The Whale, which is about a man with a compulsive eating disorder.

The film is based on award-winning playwright Samuel D Hunter's stage play of the same name. Hunter will also be involved in writing the screenplay for the project, according to reports.

The play, which was first staged in 2012, is about a reclusive 600-pound man eating himself to death at his apartment on the outskirts of Mormon County, Idaho. He wants to reconnect with his estranged daughter, a wildly unhappy teenager.

"Adapting my play into a screenplay has been a real labour of love for me," Hunter said. "This story is deeply personal and I'm very thankful it will have the chance to reach a wider audience. I've been a fan of Darren's ever since I saw Requiem for a Dream when I was a college freshman writing my first play, and I'm so grateful that he's bringing his singular talent and vision to this film," he added.

This is Aronofsky's first film since the 2017 horror film Mother!, which starred Jennifer Lawrence.

Fraser was last seen in the series Doom Patrol as Cliff Steele. He also lent his voice to Cliff's alter-ego Robotman.