After the dust settles on this summer’s mega-blockbusters, an early autumn treat awaits: a new film from The Lost City Of Z director James Gray. This one's a sci-fi epic called Ad Astra, starring the likes of Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones and Liv Tyler – and after a few notable delays (the film was originally due for release back in January, then shifted to May, and now to September), the first trailer has finally arrived.
This first look might not bear as many of the usual the Gray thumbprints you might expect, but it does dial in on the Brad Pitt-in-space angle – surely the biggest draw for casual cinemagoers. He plays Roy McBride, an astronaut following in the footsteps of his father (Jones) who disappeared years earlier on a mysterious mission. When an incident called ‘The Surge’ causes all kinds of power outages and communication issues, Pitt blasts back off into the cosmos to figure out exactly what happened to his dad.
There are some definite Interstellar vibes here – especially with those father issues, the inky black cosmos, and Hoyte Van Hoytema on cinematography duties. And while there are shots that tease action and epic space travel, expect this to be a cerebral and emotion-driven sci-fi adventure. Ad Astra comes to UK cinemas on 20 September.
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