20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Pictures have released the full official trailer for the Brad Pitt sci-fi drama Ad Astra. Directed by James Gray, the film is being described as Heart of Darkness in outer space and this long-awaited space drama hits theaters in September after numerous delays because of the movie’s extensive post-production.
In Ad Astra, Brad Pitt plays Roy McBride, an Army Corps engineer who embarks on an ambitious space mission to find out the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of his father. Clifford McBride, played by Tommy Lee Jones, was an astronaut who set out on a journey to Neptune looking for signs of extra-terrestrial intelligence but never returned.
Check out the latest trailer for Ad Astra below:
The supporting cast includes Liv Tyler, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland, Kimberly Elise, and Jamie Kennedy (yes. that Jamie Kennedy). The movie also marks a departure for acclaimed filmmaker James Gray. This is by and large his biggest movie to date, one that is taking full advantage of VFX. However, it also marks a huge leap for Gray when it comes to working within a big studio system. 20th Century Fox began production on Ad Astra before Disney’s acquisition. The house of mouse is now releasing it following the merger. Gray has been a respected voice in the independent film world for well over a decade, making his debut with the 1995 crime drama Little Odessa and earning acclaim for follow-up films The Yards, Two Lovers, The Immigrant, and The Lost City of Z. The last time Gray directed a studio film was in 2007 with the crime movie We Own the Night, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg. Fox originally set Ad Astra for May 24 before pushing back the release date to late September.
Director Gray has previously mentioned that Ad Astra was his attempt to make the most realistic depiction of space travel in a film— a sentiment he now would like to walk back, to some extent. “I cursed myself with those words,” Gray said, good-naturedly. “What I meant was to try and adhere to the possible at all times. We have done that, actually.” When he attended a Q&A at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto earlier this year, he elaborated that he was never going to feel like the movie would be ready, given the elaborate visual effects. “You’ll see it in about four years at this point.” Everything so far is looking fine on the visual front as Ad Astra, at the very least looks clean, crisp and well-composed.
You can also check out the latest poster for the film which feels like a throwback to when a movie would put its star front and center on their ability to sell a movie alone. It also looks a little like a GQ cover photo but that’s neither here nor there. Anyway, it’s very clear this movie stars Brad Pitt.
Ad Astra will hit theaters on September 20.
Source: 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney
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