Whale of a Coup for TVNZ+

TVNZ+ will stream this year’s Oscar-winning movie The Whale just four months after its Tinseltown triumph.

Nominated for three Academy Awards, it won star Brendan Fraser a best actor trophy for playing an obese, reclusive English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.

So complete was Fraser’s transformation that The Whale also won for best make-up and hair styling.

It was directed by Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) and co-stars Sadie Sink (Stranger Things), Hong Chau (The Menu) and Samantha Morton (She Said).

Normally a Madman-distributed title of this calibre would progress from theatrical (it opened here in January) to digital/home video (it went on sale in April) to pay-TV ahead of streaming AVOD (advertising-based video on demand).

But TVNZ+ will stream The Whale from July 19.

Other movies new to the platform in July include:

• The Karate Kid (1984)
• The Karate Kid (2010)
• The Karate Kid: Part II
• The Next Karate Kid 
• Bewitched 
• Charlie’s Angels
• Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle 
• The Punisher 
• Superbad 
• The House Bunny 
• Click 
• Gridiron Gang 
• Take Shelter 
• The Book of Eli 
• Moon
• Rachel Getting Married 
• Seven Years in Tibet
• In the Line of Fire
• Goodbye Pork Pie
• Baby Driver
• Fury 
• Julie & Julia 
• Eat Pray Love.