Ad Astra is the upcoming sci-fi mystery drama from director James Gray (The Lost City of Z, The Immigrant) which he co-wrote with Ethan Gross (Fringe). It features a stellar cast with the likes of Brad Pitt (it feels like we haven’t really seen him in a movie for ages), Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler, and Donald Sutherland.
This trailer’s been a long time coming, and there’s so little known about this movie that was originally announced in 2016 that I’m rather excited to see what’s in store for us. Grey’s stated previously that his goal was to create the most realistic depiction of space travel yet seen in a movie and that he was heavily inspired by Joseph Conrad’s classic 1899 novel Heart of Darkness (which was also the inspiration behind Francis Ford Coppola’s superb Apocalypse Now).
The official plot synopsis is as follows:
Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos.
Let’s take a look:
This was worth the wait – consider me very impressed and as a huge sci-fi fan I can’t wait to see this because it looks like a superb sci-fi action/drama.
It’s visually stunning (that scene with Pitt climbing the platform above the Earth is just gorgeous), you’ve got a fantastic cast, there’s an intriguing mystery to unravel that the trailer thankfully doesn’t spoil, and I love the tone the movie is going for. It’s a serious drama with plenty of thrills to keep you on the edge of your seat, but doesn’t take a gung-ho approach to the action and instead shows that it has consequences for all those involved.
Spare a thought for poor Liv Tyler though, how many times does she have to go through Armageddon? What do you think?
Ad Astra is due for release in the US on 20 September.
Last Updated: June 6, 2019
Weanerdog
June 6, 2019 at 09:02
I like what I see so far.
For the Emperor!
June 6, 2019 at 10:28
Synopsis sounds a bit like Event Horizon to me…space, edge of the solar system, missing family member…
Will watch the trailer when I get home. Silly IT policies!
Dresden
June 6, 2019 at 11:13
I share your pain. I’m really interested in the premise of the movie and it has Brad Pitt!
Original Heretic
June 6, 2019 at 10:42
I spare many thoughts for Liv Tyler.
RinceThis
June 6, 2019 at 08:37
Cannot wait! You’ll get some losers out there who have to pick how realistic it is apart, like the cretin JJ. But I am very excited about this.
Llama In The Rift
June 6, 2019 at 08:37
Agreed…Interstellar left a void in me that this would hopefully fill.
RinceThis
June 6, 2019 at 08:37
It was so good, up until ‘Love is a dimension we can use to send messages through’. FUCK RIGHT OFF
Llama In The Rift
June 6, 2019 at 08:53
Oh yeah….to this day i cannot grasp that 5th dimension humans build hell knows when….Gotta be Sumerian love.
Captain JJ
June 6, 2019 at 08:53
What is this!? Fallout 76’s physics?
Weanerdog
June 6, 2019 at 09:02
Well he does have a point about the fact that the explosions don’t make a sound but the Ficken laser beams go pew pew.
Kenn Gibson
June 6, 2019 at 12:59
That looks great!
HvR
June 6, 2019 at 11:13
“his goal was to create the most realistic depiction of space travel yet seen in a movie”
Proceeds to show side boosters being jettisoned in space and lower atmosphere stages traveling in interplanetary space.