For him with “The whale“Made an Oscar-winning comeback last year, lay the career of Brendan Fraser long broke. The actor struggled with depression and didn’t get any offers for much of the 2010s – before landing a supporting role in Steven Soderbergh’s thriller No Sudden Move in 2020, Fraser starred exclusively in B movies and single series for years.
Also the career of Marlon Brando has been in a constant downward spiral in recent years: The acting legend (“The Godfather”, “Apocalypse Now”) was struggling with serious health problems, and Brando’s reputation was no longer the best. As a result, he appeared in films only sporadically throughout the 1990s before landing his final film role in 2001 in the Heist thriller The Score. However, he only accepted his last role three years later – shortly before his death.
In addition to Brendan Fraser, Marlon Brando also landed a voice role in the animated movie “Big Bug Man”, a project by Bob Bendetson and Peter Shin, who previously wrote and directed The Simpsons of Family Guy. Both worked for Fox Animation and wanted to direct their first feature film for Bendetson and producer Stuart Black’s new production company. But most likely you’ve never heard of “Big Bug Man” – because to this day the film has never been shown anywhere…
Brendan Fraser as a superhero
Fraser would voice the lead role: Howard Kind, who works in a candy factory, is bitten by an insect and then mutates into the superhero of the same name, similar to Spider-Man (unfortunately his powers are not known exactly). Brando was originally slated to play Nicholas Dunderbeck, a corrupt boss who was modeled by the creators on his iconic role as Don Corleone.
But Brando preferred to voice a different character. He insisted on doing the voice of Ms. Sour – a character executive producer Gabriel Grunfeld described as a “funny, snarky old lady” and “a bit of a nasty Willy Wonka”! “Brando had wanted to play an old lady in an animated movie for years,” Bendetson said in 2004. in an interview with The Guardian. Therefore, the elderly actor would have put all his remaining energy into the film, despite diabetes, obesity and respiratory problems.
According to Bendetson and Grunfeld, Brando recorded his lines outside of his house wearing a dress, gloves, blonde wig and makeup to really be in the role. In the same Guardian interview, Grunfeld quoted the two-time Oscar winner as saying that Mrs. Sour was “the most fun” Brando had played since playing Julius Caesar in 1953! Just three weeks after shooting, Brando died of pulmonary fibrosis.
What happened to “Big Bug Man”?
At the time, the $20 million “Big Bug Man” was expected to hit theaters no later than 2006 — but it didn’t. The release was first delayed to 2007 and then to 2008 until the film finally disappeared from the scene altogether. In 2022, voice actor Marice Tobias, who worked closely with Brando on the project, commented: against the vice about the subject: She suspected the constant delays were due to the film’s “bold tone.” – and drew comparisons to the politically incorrect animated series South Park.
But other than that, not much is known about the film. Neither what exactly happens in it, nor whether it will ever be completed. Other than a poster, storyboards, and some promo footage, there is no “Big Bug Man” material. Here’s the poster for the movie:
It is rumored that Brando may have ended his voice acting early due to advanced health issues, but no details have been released on that either. It is also unknown if Brendan Fraser ever reprized his role.
Shortly after Brando’s death, there was a CNN report on his demise that also featured “Big Bug Man”. – and in which Brando can be heard for a few seconds in his role as Mrs. sour. The only excerpt from the film that has been made public to date. You can watch the clip here:
And If you want to know exactly why Brendan Fraser’s career suddenly went downhill at Hollywood’s absolute pinnacle, then I definitely recommend the following article by my colleague Björn Becher, who has broken it all down in great detail: