Fathers and sons have complicated relationships. Sometimes they can be the sweetest, most wonderful ones, and sometimes they can be dark and sinister. Most of the time, they are somewhere in between. Films throughout history have explored these relationships in every way, from serious dramas like The Godfather to comedies about dads and sons like Elf. Here is a list of our favorite movies exploring the love or hate between sons and their fathers.

Field Of Dreams

Near or at the top of any list of the complicated relationships between fathers and sons has to be the classic Field Of Dreams, a movie that no matter how often you rewatch it, you see something new, and you probably shed a little tear at the end when dad and son finally have that game of catch. It's something almost all kids can relate to, and makes fathers long for childhood again.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Superheros have long had complex relationships with their dads. From Superman to Batman, and even in the MCU. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we learn about Star-Lord's father, played by Kurt Russell. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) never knew his father and lost his mother at a young age and both of those things help mold his personality and his ethos, so when he finally meets his dad, it gets messy.

In The Name Of The Father

One of Daniel Day-Lewis' best roles came as a man accused of a terrorist attack that he didn't commit in In The Name Of The Father. The movie, based on a true story, explores the complicated nature of how a father and son interact when his father is also wrongly implicated in the same plot and both are sent to prison together. It's an amazing movie sure to bring a tear to your eye.

Boyz N The Hood

Furious Styles (Laurence Fishburne) is a single father trying his hardest to keep his son Tre off the streets and raise him the right way in a world working hard against him in Boyz N The Hood. Furious is tough on his son, but it's only because he loves Tre and he knows he has to be tough to survive and avoid all the pitfalls of a teenager in South Central LA.

Road to Perdition

Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is an orphan taken in by a mob boss, John Rooney (Paul Newman) in one of the best examples of a movie based on a comic book that isn't about a superhero, Road to Perdition. Without spoiling too much, the relationship is strained, to say the least, and culminates in a dramatic scene between the two that is the ultimate expression of how difficult the dynamic can get.

Back To The Future

Back To The Future isn't only a movie about the relationship between a father and a son, but Marty's relationship with his father George is one of the pivotal plot points from beginning to end. They clearly love each other, but Marty (Michael J. Fox) doesn't respect George (Crispin Glover), until the very end when his father proves what kind of man he can be.

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

At the heart of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the relationship between father (Sean Connery) and son (Harrison Ford). They pretty much disagree about everything and both think the other is a little silly at times (or all the time), but they show the strength of their relationship when they come together to complete the task that the father started decades ago and it makes for some amazing moments throughout the film.

Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can is all about the insane life of con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio). That all starts at home when he was a kid and his father, played by Christopher Walken shows that he is quite the con man himself. Frank, Jr idolizes his father and you get the sense that everything he does in life is to please his father and make Frank, Sr. proud.

There Will Be Blood

Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a singularly focused man. He is harsh, brutal, and unforgiving in the quest for his fortune. The one aspect of his life where is, at least a little, less harsh and brutal comes in his relationship with his son, whom he cares for deeply and truly and does all he can to help the boy as he raises him. That is, until it all falls apart, as so many relationships like that do, sadly.

The Godfather

In the history of film, there may be no better example of the complicated nature between a father and a son. Not only is The Godfather one of the best gangster movies of all time, but what makes it one of the best films of all time is the way it explores the relationship between Michael (Al Pacino) and his father Vito (Marlon Brando).

The Pursuit Of Happyness

The Pursuit Of Happyness is the true story of Chris Gardner, played by Will Smith, that follows Gardner's struggle to raise his son and make both their lives better. Father and son are homeless in the movie as Gardner works to become a stockbroker. It's a movie that definitely restores your faith in humanity.

The Lion King

Disney may have made some of the best kids' cartoons ever, but they also aren't afraid to explore the death of a parent in their movies. One of the most tragic deaths in Disney's history is the demise of Mufasa in The Lion King. The way it affects Simba is powerful and sets the tone for the movie and for Simba's whole life.

The Iron Claw

2023's The Iron Claw is all about family. The Von Erichs, led by patriarch Fritz are not only one of the most successful families in professional wrestling history, they are also the most tragic. Fritz is a complicated man and that reflects on how he raises his sons.

Elf

There is no doubt that Elf is one of the best Christmas movies of all time, but it's also one of the best father-and-son movies, too. Not only is it about Buddy (Will Ferrell) getting to know his biological father played by James Caan, but it's also about the elf who raised Buddy as his son, played by Bob Newhart. Both are magical relationships.

The Road

How does a father raise his son in a world that has been destroyed by a mysterious event that is never fully explained? The Road, starring Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee as father and son attempt to do it. It's a bleak movie, one that really sticks with you after you see it and the relationship is both brutal and beautiful.

Fences

In Fences, part of the Pittsburgh Cycle by playwright August Wilson, Denzel Washington's character is a bitter man who denied his dream of playing professional baseball, and those around him, especially his son, suffer the consequences. It's not the kind of father/son movie that you'd ever want to use as a sterling example of fatherhood, but that doesn't mean that millions of fathers and sons don't interact in the same way.

Star Wars

Throughout the entire Star Wars saga, the relationships between fathers and sons play out in dramatic ways. The most famous example, of course, is between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, but in the sequels, there is also the relationship between Han Solo and Kylo Ren, which ends as tragically as possible.

American Pie

You have to empathize with Eugene Levy's character in American Pie. It's clear he loves his son very much, but he just doesn't understand his son at all. Or, at least, he kind of understands and just isn't equipped to deal with raising a teenager. It's something all fathers can relate to, without a doubt.

Frequency

Frequency is a vastly underrated movie that doesn't get mentioned enough. It's all about a son's attempts to get to know a father he hardly knew in life. When the supernatural intercedes he has the opportunity to speak directly to his dead father, the movie opens up the emotional floodgates.

Life Is Beautiful

1997's Life Is Beautiful is one of those amazing movies you can only watch once. The relationship between Guido and his son Giosuè is the "beautiful" part of the title because everything else shows just how ugly life can get for some people. It's a tragic movie, but at its heart is the love between father and son,

The Many Saints Of Newark

Tony Soprano is a complicated guy. A guy who spends years in therapy during The Sopranos and it turns out a lot of his emotional baggage traces back to his father Johnny as we learned in the prequel movie The Many Saints Of Newark. Johnny was a man that Tony loved and feared, as many sons do of their father, but maybe not in such dramatic ways.

Ad Astra

Ad Astra isn't the first sci-fi movie to explore the relationship between fathers and sons, but it is one of the most dramatic. Whenever a son loses a father at a young age, it makes for very complicated emotions about their father and this plays out in Ad Astra as the two are reunited many years later in a very distant place.

A River Runs Through It

A River Runs Through It is about family. It's about brotherly love and the complicated relationships that brothers have with each other as much as it is about their relationship with their strict but loving religious father. Neither son turns out much like their father at all, but despite their sometimes harsh upbringing, but love and respect their father.

East Of Eden

East of Eden starring James Dean is based on the John Steinbeck novel of the same, which itself is loosely based on the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. As such, it's all about familial relationships, including Cal and Abel's very complicated with their father, Adam.

Nowhere Special

You may not have heard of the Irish movie Nowhere Special, but if you love to cry at tragic stories on film, you need to check it out. A single father faces the worst nightmare any dad can imagine. He is diagnosed with a terminal illness and must work out plans for the rest of his 4-year-old's life, including who is to raise the child. It's heartbreaking and beautiful.

Tree Of Life

Whatever subject director Terrence Malick chooses to explore in his films is sure to be interesting and worth anyone's time. In Tree Of Life, Malick takes on a father's life with this family, mostly in the seemingly idyllic 1950s. Of course, under the surface, the family is far from ideal.

Billy Madison

Not every movie about the love between a father and son has to be serious. In fact, Billy Madison proves that even the funniest movies can still explore the subject. Billy, played by Adam Sandler, is an idiot. His father, played by Darren McGavin still loves him enough to give Billy one last shot at inheriting the family hotel business. It's also Adam Sander's best movie.

My Life

Michael Keaton has starred in a lot of movies in his long career and some, like Mr. Mom and Batman, are better remembered than others, like My Life. To be sure, My Life is not one of Keaton's best movies, but it does show an incredible relationship between a father and his unborn son as Keaton's character is diagnosed with terminal cancer and spends his remaining days filming videos to teach the son he will never know everything he thinks a son should learn from his father. It's a sad movie, but a worthwhile one.

Boyhood

Director Richard Linklater's Boyhood is one of the most ambitious films ever made as it was shot over 11 years and at the heart of the movie is the complicated, loving, and realistic relationship between a father, played by Ethan Hawke, and his son, played by Ellar Coltrane.

Hook

In Hook, Robin Williams plays a father who grew up too much. He's lost all the sense and wonder he once had as a child and as a result, his son, who still has that sense of wonder, has become alienated from his father. All that it takes to rekindle his love for life, and for his son, is for Williams' character to remember his lost childhood. Thankfully he does.

A Bronx Tale

A Bronx Tale is all about a teenager struggling between choosing the straight-laced, but somewhat boring life his father, played by Robert De Niro, wants for him, and the exciting criminal life a father figure, played by Chazz Palminteri, can offer him. Which will he choose?

Tommy Boy

We don't watch Tommy Boy for a heartfelt movie about a father and his son. We watch Tommy Boy for the hilarious quotes. Still, there is that wonderful relationship between Tommy (Chris Farley) and his father, Big Tom, played by Brian Dennehy. Its just a shame it ended so soon.

Looking for movies like Interstellar after revisiting one of the best sci-fi films of all time? Well, we have something that’ll make you oh so excited. In honor of the 10th anniversary of one of Christopher Nolan’s best movies, we’ve put together a rather robust list of titles that touch on similar topics, have a similar tone, or fill the audience with wonder and awe (or a combination of the three).

From classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey to more modern gems like Arrival, and so much more, there’s plenty to choose from. In fact, there are probably enough options here to keep you busy on a long journey to deep space.

Arrival (2016)

Denis Villeneuve’s 2016 sci-fi drama, Arrival, has a lot in common with Interstellar, and the similarities go beyond just both movies having confusing endings. Both highly decorated movies feature incredibly complex and emotional stories about parents going to great lengths to either connect with their children or save them, as well as stories about the uncertainty of the future.

Stream Arrival on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Arrival on Amazon. 

Frequency (2000)

Gregory Hoblit’s 2000 sci-fi thriller, Frequency, follows NYPD detective John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel) as he communicates with his father (played by Dennis Quaid) over the radio. But here’s the thing, his dad has been dead for 30 years and has been contacting him from 1969. 

Rent/Buy Frequency on Amazon.

Contact (1997)

Another movie about someone going to great lengths to find or contact a loved one, Robert Zemeckis’ Contact follows Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) as she finds evidence of extraterrestrial life and embarks upon an epic mission to the far reaches of space. And you’ll also get to see a younger Matthew McConaughey long before he played Intestellar's Coop.

Rent/Buy Contact on Amazon.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

One of the landmark sci-fi movies of the 20th century, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey follows a group of astronauts as they are sent on a mission to Jupiter to find a mysterious object that’s calling to Earth. This Oscar-winning sci-fi classic walked so Interstellar could run.

Stream 2001: A Space Odyssey on Max.
Rent/Buy 2001: A Space Odyssey on Amazon.

Sunshine (2007)

In Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, a group sets off to the dying sun in a last-ditch effort to reignite the solar surface and prevent humanity from suffering a cold and drawn-out death. Much like Interstellar, this film about saving the human race explores man's fight for survival, but also man's downfall.

Rent/Buy Sunshine on Amazon.

Big Fish (2003)

Okay, Big Fish isn’t a sci-fi movie and it doesn’t take place in space, but Tim Burton’s moving fantasy drama does focus heavily on the bond between parent and child. Much like Interstellar, this is a movie built on the back of familial bonds, both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Rent/Buy Big Fish on Amazon.

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

One of the most inventive Best Picture winners in recent memory, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a mind-bending, genre-bending, and incredibly emotional epic about a seemingly normal woman (Michelle Yeoh) going to great lengths to form a meaningful relationship with her family. The familial bonds and drama found in this movie are on par with anything in Interstellar.

Rent/Buy Everything Everywhere All at Once on Amazon.

Moon (2009)

Moon is one of those sci-fi movies any fan of the genre should watch at least once in their lifetime. Following a lone worker (played by Sam Rockwell) as he completes his mission on the lunar surface, Duncan Jones’ inventive drama explores loneliness and humanity while also featuring one bizarre twist after another.

Rent/Buy Moon on Amazon.

Ad Astra (2019)

Though it doesn’t get talked about nearly enough, Ad Astra is one of the great space-travel movies of the past decade. The movie follows Brad Pitt’s lone astronaut as he travels to the far reaches of the solar system to find and confront his missing father (played by Tommy Lee Jones) before the weary figure can do the unthinkable and wipe out humanity with the push of a button.

Rent/Buy Ad Astra on Amazon.

Inception (2010)

Released four years before Interstellar, Christopher Nolan’s Inception is another sci-fi epic that focuses on the relationship between parent and child just as much as it does with massive set pieces and philosophical questions. And with so many crazy fan theories, it’s a fun movie to revisit.

Rent/Buy Inception on Amazon.

Gravity (2013)

A Best Picture loser that should have won the top prize, Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity was one of the most breathtaking cinematic experiences of the 2010s. Centering around Sandra Bullock’s solo astronaut stranded in Earth’s orbit, the movie follows the terrified yet determined heroine as she goes to great lengths to make it home.

Rent/Buy Gravity on Amazon.

The Martian (2015)

Not only do Interstellar and The Martian both feature incredible performances by Matt Damon, each film also tells a remarkable story of two astronauts as they embark upon perilous journeys that test them physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Rent/Buy The Martian on Amazon.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)

Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, like Interstellar, captures the heart and imagination of the audience better than most. This iconic ‘70s film about humans making contact with mysterious extraterrestrial visitors pushed the sci-fi genre in a new direction nearly 50 years ago, and its influence can still be felt decades later.

Rent/Buy Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Amazon.

Ex Machina (2015)

Released just months after Interstellar, Alex Garland’s Ex Machina offers a more frightening and bleak sci-fi tale with its story about a state-of-the-art robot (played by Alicia Vikander) and the programmer (played by Domhnall Gleeson) hand-picked to perform a Turing test. Despite the different tones, both movies focus on exploration and how much we really don’t know about the universe or ourselves.

Rent/Buy Ex Machina on Amazon.

The Fountain (2006)

One of Darren Aronofsky's best movies, The Fountain is split up into three loosely connected storylines that all center on characters (played by Hugh Jackman) going to extreme lengths to save the women they love (played by Rachel Weisz) in various scenarios. Emotional, spiritual, and awe-inspiring, this is worth a revisit.

Rent/Buy The Fountain on Amazon.

Prometheus (2012)

A prequel to Ridley Scott’s Alien, Prometheus is set years before the Nostromo incident and follows a group of archaeologists as they travel to a distant moon in search of sentient life. But, what they find is far more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined. 

Rent/Buy Prometheus on Amazon.

Midnight Special (2016)

One of the best sci-fi films of 2016, Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special follows a father (played by Michael Shannon) as he tries to hide his son (played by Jaeden Martell) from both the government and a mysterious cult after it’s discovered the boy has mysterious powers. Mixing sci-fi with family drama elements, Nichols crafts an exciting and poignant story like no other.

Rent/Buy Midnight Special on Amazon.

District 9 (2009)

Neill Blomkamp gave the world one of the most groundbreaking sci-fi action thrillers in 2009 with his feature film debut, District 9. Set in South Africa years after spaceships bring an alien race to Earth, the movie dives into the tense relationship between humans and extraterrestrials, and doesn’t shy away from tackling complex themes.

Rent/Buy District 9 on Amazon.

A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, a project started by Stanley Kubrick and brought to fruition by Steven Spielberg, follows a young android (played by Haley Joel Osment) as he embarks upon a journey of self-discovery. Caught between man and machine, this proves to be no easy task for the emotional cyborg programmed to love.

Rent/Buy A.I.: Artificial Intelligence on Amazon.

Hopefully, this will be helpful when finding something to watch after Interstellar. But if you’re looking for newer films, there are plenty of upcoming sci-fi movies headed to the big screen in the very near future.

Many Hollywood stars have emerged over the last several decades and established themselves as multi-genre threats. You could think of the great Robert Downey Jr., Harrison Ford, and even Scarlett Johansson. But today, we will be talking about another actor who has been in the industry for years: Tommy Lee Jones. 

He's been all over the map, from action thrillers to sci-fi movies to dramas that show his ability to act. Now, we have this list of the best Tommy Lee Jones movies that you should check out, whether on a streaming platform or as a rental. 

The Fugitive (1993)

The Fugitive is based on the 1960s TV show of the same name. Starring Harrison Ford in one of his best roles and Tommy Lee Jones, this action thriller follows a surgeon who is framed for murder and escapes from custody after a severe bus crash. He makes it his mission to find the person who actually killed his family while simultaneously being hunted down by the government. 

Jones plays Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard, one of the people hunting Ford's character, Dr. Richard Kimble. This was the film that won Jones the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the film itself earned several nominations, including Best Picture. He offers a fantastic performance, and the movie is filled with action to keep you on the edge of your seat. Plus, the leads have some great chemistry. 

Stream The Fugitive on Tubi.
Rent/Buy The Fugitive on Amazon.

JFK (1991)

Directed by Oliver Stone, JFK is a political thriller that looks deep into the real investigation of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, mainly following Jim Garrison, a lawyer who believes that the supposed killer had an accomplice and that it was was a two-person job. 

Jones plays Clay Shaw/Clay Bertrand, again showing his impeccable acting talent and raw ability to draw eyes to the screen. Once again, he was nominated for an Academy Award, alongside seven other nominations, the movie winning two. It's a great political film for those who want a good drama. 

Stream JFK on Max.
Rent/Buy JFK on Amazon.

Men In Black 1-3 (1997-2012)

Here come the men in black. For the first three movies, the Men in Black franchise mainly followed the adventures of Kevin Brown and James Darrell Edwards III, known as Agent K and Agent J, as they fought against a whole universe of aliens to keep humanity safe. 

I could talk for hours about the first three Men in Black movies and why it's one of Jones' best films, but I think everyone already knows it. The chemistry between him and Smith is always killer, and they can pull laughs from the crowd no matter how gross the aliens they encounter might be. 

Truthfully, I think the franchise peaked with the films where Jones played Agent K, and nothing can ever top his role. There have been attempts to revive the series and start with new actors, but I just can't get behind them. I will always want to see a continuation of these two and their extra-terrestrial adventures. 

I don't think we'll be getting another movie from them anytime soon, but a girl can dream, alright?

Stream/Buy Men in Black on Amazon Prime.
Stream/Rent/Buy Men in Black II on Amazon Prime.
Stream/Rent/Buy Men in Black III on Amazon Prime.

In The Valley Of Elah (2007)

Directed by Paul Haggis and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, and Susan Sarandon, In the Valley of Elah is a crime drama that will captivate you. The film mainly follows the story of a military father looking for his child. When he discovers that his son has been killed, he makes it his mission to find the people responsible and take them down, settling on revenge rather than grief.

The movie was released during the Iraq War, and Jones was the perfect pick to portray that desperate fear and, later on, the rage that comes from losing a child. He was again nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. 

Rent/Buy In The Valley of Elah on Amazon.

Lincoln (2012)

Directed by the incredible Steven Spielberg, Lincoln stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the titular man and tells the story of President Lincoln during the last few months of his life as he works hard to end slavery and the Civil War, leading up to the events of the establishment of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. 

Lincoln is packed to the brim with stars alongside Lewis, such as the incredible Sally Field, Adam Driver, Bill Camp, and more. Still, Tommy Lee Jones' Republican Congressman Thaddeus Stevens was undoubtedly one of the best. He delivered some of the film's best scenes, from his solo speeches to moments involving others. He was again nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards for his role. 

Rent/Buy Lincoln on Amazon.

No Country For Old Men (2007)

No Country For Old Men follows three stories: a man who stumbles upon money in the desert, a hitman trying to get to the cash for his nefarious deeds, and the sheriff looking into the crime and trying to solve it before anyone else gets hurt. Eventually, their lives intertwine, and tragedy strikes. 

The film won Best Picture at the Academy Awards for a good reason, as the main three stars, Jones, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem, killed it. There's something about seeing Jones as a good guy sheriff trying to save the day that makes the film that much better. Trust me; you'll be rooting for him as the movie progresses. 

Stream No Country for Old Men on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy No Country For Old Men on Amazon. 

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Witness the start of a hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Captain America: The First Avenger is the first film in that franchise, where we meet Steve Rogers, a young man with many health problems, who is given the chance to become a figure of hope for America through using a super-soldier serum that will change him forever. 

The MCU has vastly expanded since this film, but I sometimes like to revisit the movies that began it all – and Jones is hilarious and fantastic here. He plays Chester Phillips, a colonel responsible for creating Captain America, and he's sarcastic, gruff, and all things great about a military officer in a movie. I would gladly watch a film just about him. 

Stream Captain America: The First Avenger on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Captain America: The First Avenger on Amazon.

Natural Born Killers (1994)

Directed by Oliver Stone, Natural Born Killers follows the story of two people who were traumatized in childhood, which bled into their adult years. But of course, these two end up meeting, twistedly falling in love, and taking their trauma to the next level – by killing people, and these acts gain media attention that turns them into stars.

Let me tell you, if you want to see a movie where Tommy Lee Jones acts maddening, this is the one. His scenes are genuinely some of the most enthralling of the movie. He plays the prison warden that the main characters are taken to, and seeing him angry is always a sight. The film itself is pretty bloody, so keep that in mind before watching. 

Rent/Buy Natural Born Killers on Amazon.

Ad Astra (2019)

Ad Astra is a psychological sci-fi film that stars Brad Pitt as an astronaut who heads into space on the mission of a lifetime – to find his father and stop him from discovering aliens, which could ruin life as they know it on Earth, and quite possibly the galaxy around them. 

The movie is one of those films that takes its time getting into the story and showing just how scary space travel can be, but Jones' performance is incredible. I love his scenes with Pitt, and it's always fun to see him back in a sci-fi film after MIB. 

Rent/Buy Ad Astra on Amazon.

Jason Bourne (2016)

Last but not least, we have Jason Bourne. This Bourne franchise film follows the titular CIA assassin, but he finds out that there's a lot more to the government organization than he ever thought possible, which causes a target to be placed on his back. While he tries to outrun the CIA, the director sends others to finish Bourne off. 

Tommy Lee Jones as a CIA director is everything you could ever want. His character, Robert Dewey, is powerful, intense, intelligent, and a perfect antagonist to Jason Bourne, and Jones’ scenes with Matt Damon are fantastic. I would watch this again. 

Rent/Buy Jason Bourne on Amazon.

There are so many other films that Jones has made, but these are the ones to highlight. Now if you don't mind me, I will go and watch Men in Black again and be freaked out by all those cockroaches. Gross. 

The subgenre of space movies makes up an essential portion of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made. The genre has always been the best at exploring the unknown, and what symbolizes that concept better than the mysteries that lie beyond the stars?

Keeping our list limited to classics that explore worlds beyond Earth, but from an Earthling’s perspective, we sifted through the best streaming services to subscribe to for the greatest movies set in space so we could report back our findings. Enjoy these stellar cinematic journeys!

Solaris (1972)

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

Starring: Donatas Banionis, Natalya Bondarchuk

What it’s about: A psychologist experiences an unexpected and unexplainable encounter when investigating a death at a space station on a distant planet.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Tarkovsky (the highly imaginative mind behind some sci-fi movies rated high on Rotten Tomatoes) makes one of his most intense, thought-provoking, and cerebral dramas out of Solaris – a mesmerizing, mysterious, mind-bending thriller was later remade by Steven Soderbergh with George Clooney in the lead.

How to watch Solaris

• Stream Solaris Max
• Rent or buy Solaris on Amazon
• Buy Solaris on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Wandering Earth (2019)

Director: Frant Gwo

Starring: Wu Jing, Qu Chuxiao

What it’s about: In order to save the planet from the nearly-expired Sun, astronauts attempt to physically move it to a safer location in outer space.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Netflix’s Chinese-language adaptation of Cixin Liu’s novel, The Wandering Earth, is a unique end-of-the-world drama with stunning visuals and gloriously over-the-top action.

How to watch The Wandering Earth

• Stream The Wandering Earth on Netflix

Explorers (1985)

Director: Joe Dante

Starring: Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jason Presson

What it’s about: A 15-year-old enlists his two friends to help construct a spaceship out of blueprints that came to him in a dream.

Why it is one of the best space movies: One of the earliest and best Ethan Hawke movies, Explorers, brings the ultimate childhood space travel fantasy to life with an adventure the whole family will love.

How to watch Explorers

• Rent or buy Explorers on Amazon
• Buy Explorers on Blu-ray on Amazon

Serenity (2005)

Director: Joss Whedon

Starring: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres

What it’s about: The continuing adventures of Captain Mal Reynolds and his ragtag crew of outlaws evading interplanetary government detection centuries after Earth becomes uninhabitable.

Why it is one of the best space movies: After Firefly was prematurely canceled, fans were given some closure in the form of the feature-length spin-off, Serenity, which mostly ditches the original series’ unique Western themes but is still a thoroughly exciting action thrillride.

How to watch Serenity

• Rent or buy Serenity on Amazon
• Buy Serenity on Blu-ray on Amazon

Galaxy Quest (1999)

Director: Dean Parisot

Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver

What it’s about: The stars of a canceled, cult favorite sci-fi series are enlisted for the gig of their lives by a desperate alien species who believes their show is real

Why it is one of the best space movies: While essentially a clever and hilarious satire on geek culture, Galaxy Quest is still as exciting as any episode of Star Trek, Buck Rogers, or Battlestar Galactica could be and one of the best movies of the ‘90s as a result.

How to watch Galaxy Quest

• Stream Galaxy Quest on Pluto TV
• Rent or buy Galaxy Quest on Amazon
• Buy Galaxy Quest on Blu-ray on Amazon

RocketMan (1997)

Director: Stuart Gillard

Starring: Harland Williams, Jessica Lundy

What it’s about: A spacecraft designer lives out his life-long dream of becoming an astronaut, but his childish antics and bumbling nature cause trouble on the first expedition to Mars.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Not to be confused with an Elton John biopic from 2019, RocketMan is a funny, family-friendly Disney movie that deserves a sequel with an inspiring message about following your dreams.

How to watch RocketMan

• Rent or buy RocketMan (1997) on Amazon
• Buy RocketMan (1997) on DVD Amazon

Apollo 13 (1995)

Director: Ron Howard

Starring: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton

What it’s about: In April 1970, a technical malfunction interrupts a mission to the moon, forcing three astronauts and those at Houston to race against time and safely bring them home.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Apollo 13 is a breathtaking, Academy Award-winning retelling of a shocking true event that remains the ultimate cautionary tale of space travel and one of Tom Hanks’ best movies.

How to watch Apollo 13

• Stream Apollo 13 on Netflix
• Rent or buy Apollo 13 on Amazon
• Buy Apollo 13 on Blu-ray on Amazon

First Man (2018)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy

What it’s about: In the late 1960s, Neil Armstrong struggles with safety hazards and his own emotional issues as he prepares for a history-making trip to the Moon.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Gosling gives one of his best performances as the titular First Man in this revealing biopic with Oscar-winning visual effects that place you right in the front seat of the Space Race.

How to watch First Man

• Rent or buy First Man on Amazon
• Buy First Man on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Right Stuff (1983)

Director: Philip Kaufman

Starring: Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn

What it’s about: The origins of the United States space program as seen through the eyes of the seven experienced pilots chosen to be the first astronauts.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Inspired by Tom Wolfe’s award-winning non-fiction book, The Right Stuff (one of the most acclaimed box office bombs of the ‘80s) is a story about staring the impossible in the face and having what it takes to achieve a goal, whatever the cost.

How to watch The Right Stuff

• Rent or buy The Right Stuff on Amazon
• Buy The Right Stuff on Blu-ray on Amazon

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood

What it’s about: An astronaut crew investigates a mysterious discovery buried underneath the Lunar surface, which evolves into a fierce battle for supremacy between man and machine.

Why it is one of the best space movies: One of Stanley Kubricks’ best movies, 2001: A Space Odyssey (which he co-wrote with original novel author Arthur C. Clarke) is a groundbreaking spectacle with timeless, Academy Award-winning special effects, thought-provoking themes, and (courtesy of the iconic AI HAL-9000) technophobic caution.

How to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey

• Stream 2001: A Space Odyssey on Max
• Rent or buy 2001: A Space Odyssey on Amazon
• Buy 2001: A Space Odyssey on Blu-ray on Amazon

Gravity (2013)

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney

What it’s about: An engineer and a veteran astronaut must engage in an unforgiving fight for survival on the outskirts of Earth’s gravitational field.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Cuaron won his first Academy Award for directing the thoroughly intense Gravity, which also completely and deservedly swept 2014’s technical categories for its unbelievably vivid recreation of outer space in all its beauty and cold brutality.

How to watch Gravity

• Rent or buy Gravity on Amazon
• Buy Gravity on Blu-ray on Amazon

Interstellar (2014)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain

What it’s about: A NASA pilot-turned-farmer is forced to leave his daughter behind and join the search for a new home as Earth runs dangerously low on resources.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Unsurprisingly, one of Christopher Nolan’s best movies, Interstellar, won a Best Visual Effects Oscar, but the heartbreaking father-daughter story is truly why this modern, pre-apocalyptic sci-fi classic is destined to remain timeless.

How to watch Interstellar

• Stream Interstellar on Paramount+
• Stream Interstellar on Netflix
• Rent or buy Interstellar on Amazon
• Buy Interstellar on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Martian (2015)

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain

What it’s about: When an astronaut is accidentally left stranded on the Red Planet, he must “science the shit out of” his situation to survive as NASA struggles to figure out how to bring him home.

Why it is one of the best space movies: For all of its gorgeous imagery, thrilling suspense, and braininess, what really sells this Oscar-nominated adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel, The Martian, is Damon’s engaging charisma and the script’s tasteful humor amid otherwise grim and distressing circumstances.

How to watch The Martian

• Stream The Martian on Max
• Rent or buy The Martian on Amazon
• Buy The Martian on Blu-ray on Amazon

Titan A.E. (2000)

Director: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman

Starring: Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore

What it’s about: A young survivor of Earth’s destruction several years earlier becomes the final hope for humanity after learning he holds the key to finding a long-lost, coveted ship.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Years before The Martian or Interstellar, Matt Damon got to be the space traveler doing some saving, instead of being saved, in Titan A.E. – an inventive, visually unique, and thrilling animated adventure the whole family will love.

How to watch Titan A.E.

• Rent or buy Titan A.E. on Amazon
• Buy Titan A.E. on DVD on Amazon

Contact (1997)

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey

What it’s about: An ambitious astronomer discovers irrefutable evidence of extraterrestrial life, leading to the construction of a device that may redefine space travel.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Based on the novel by famed astrophysicist Carl Sagan, Contact is a transfixing, highly imaginative, and emotionally impactive drama and one of Robert Zemeckis’ best movies.

How to watch Contact

• Rent or buy Contact on Amazon
• Buy Contact on Blu-ray on Amazon

Ad Astra (2019)

Director: James Gray

Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones

What it’s about: The son of a long-missing astronaut is given the chance to finally find him when NASA suspects he is the cause of a strange threat to Earth.

Why it is one of the best space movies: From its intense introduction to the thought-provoking ending of Ad Astra (which translates from Latin to “to the stars”), the film boasts stunning visuals and an extremely plausible depiction of commercial space travel that, boldly, does not shy away from the concept’s potential dangers.

How to watch Ad Astra

• Rent or buy Ad Astra on Amazon
• Buy Ad Astra on Blu-ray on Amazon

Sunshine (2007)

Director: Danny Boyle

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh

What it’s about: When the Sun begins to lose its spark, an international crew of astronauts is sent to revive it with a nuclear blast.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Almost like Armageddon with a bigger brain, writer Alex Garland’s Sunshine is a real nail-biter of a concept elevated by a thoroughly inventive storyline and an engrossing visual scope.

How to watch Sunshine

• Rent or buy Sunshine on Amazon
• Buy Sunshine on Blu-ray on Amazon

Moon (2009)

Director: Duncan Jones

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey

What it’s about: A man nearing the end of his three-year mission retrieving resources from the lunar surface makes a startling discovery that changes the outlook of his career and his entire life.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Sam Rockwell gives one of the most memorable sad astronaut performances in Moon – a criminally underrated thriller that brilliantly uses outer space as a backdrop for a gripping tale of existential dread.

How to watch Moon

• Rent or buy Moon on Amazon
• Buy Moon on Blu-ray on Amazon

Alien (1979)

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver

What it’s about: A commercial spaceship crew discovers an extraterrestrial life form that puts everyone on board at risk of a brutal fate.

Why it is one of the best space movies: The first installment of the ongoing Alien movies franchise is a brilliant cosmic epic with the pulse-pounding tension of a slasher movie, famous for introducing one of the most badass female characters in sci-fi history: Ellen Ripley.

How to watch Alien

• Stream Alien on Hulu
• Rent or buy Alien on Amazon
• Buy Alien on Blu-ray on Amazon

WALL-E (2008)

Director: Andrew Stanton

Starring: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight

What it’s about: An adorable robot left to clean up an abandoned Earth meets a mysterious, advanced model searching for life on the uninhabitable planet.

Why it is one of the best space movies: The beautifully animated and thought-provoking Pixar movie classic WALL-E is a good palate cleanser from all the doom and gloom in most other space movies, despite touching on some frighteningly plausible themes.

How to watch WALL-E

• Stream WALL-E on Disney+
• Rent or buy WALL-E on Amazon
• Buy WALL-E on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Star Wars movies and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films, for instance, make space travel look fun, until you see these films and begin to reconsider that thought. At least we can say that space movies give us a rush that most Earthbound adventures cannot hold a candle to.

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The new Netflix science fiction series Away has quickly become one of the most popular shows on the streaming platform since its launch in September 2020, and now that so many people have blown through the Hilary Swank's space drama's 10-episode first season they're probably looking for something to hold them down until a second season is announced. Luckily, there seem to be more movies and television shows based in space or touch on themes of family, sacrifice, and spirituality than stars in the night's sky.

With everything from space epics about an astronaut tracking down his missing father in the depths of the solar system to a dramatization of the early days of America's space program, and even a few options about traveling to the far reaches of the known universe, there's plenty to choose from. But with so many options and so little time, it can sometimes be difficult to find the perfect match. Well, here are just 10 movies and TV shows that you can stream right now if you liked Away and want to continue on your journey to the center of human experience in the vacuum of space.

Ad Astra (HBO Max)

Nearly 30 years after Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) set off on a voyage into deep space, U.S Space Command believes that the lost astronaut is sending harmful attacks back to Earth. To try and stop the rogue astronaut, SpaceCom sends his son, Roy (Brad Pitt) to track down his long-lost father and uncover the mystery of what happened to his father and the crew of his spaceship.

Why It's A Good Option For Netflix's Away Fans: In addition to dealing with a story that focuses on the impact that extended stays in space have on an astronaut's family back on Earth, Ad Astra is similar to Away in the sense that it features some of the most eye-catching and unbelievable recreations of physics (or lack thereof) in outer space. The scenes involving the ambush on the Moon and the final moments of this exhilarating affair come to mind. If fans of the Netflix space drama loved both of those elements, then this 2019 science fiction thriller is right for them.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Challenger: The Final Flight (Netflix)

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster will forever go down as one of the most memorable and tragic moments in the history of NASA, and the later part of the 20th Century for that matter. The new Netflix docuseries Challenger: The Final Flight spends four episodes discussing nearly every aspect of what was supposed to be the mission that took the first teacher to space before it ended in disaster with millions of school-aged children watching from classrooms around the country.

Why It's A Good Option For Netflix's Away Fans: Much like Away, Challenger: The Final Flight focuses on the sacrifices that astronauts are willing to take in order to advance our understanding of outer space and what it means to humanity to do so. If fans of the space drama want to know more about the real-world NASA, its highly-trained astronauts, and the way they inspire millions of young children, then this four-part docuseries will provide more than enough insight, even if it ends with tragedy.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The First (Hulu)

The Hulu original series The First centers around the planning of the first manned mission to Mars, with a focus on the astronauts, their families, and scores of scientists, mathematicians, and support staff who are guiding them on their unprecedented journey to the martian planet.

Why It's A Good Option For Netflix's Away Fans: Although the first (and only) season of The First follows the group of five astronauts led by Sean Penn's Tom Hagerty as they enter Mars' orbit, it does offer a similar approach to Away's approach to the more personal and emotional side of space travel. By including the human element, the show allows the characters to feel more natural and realized opposed to emotionless robots spouting off numbers and terms few people outside of space travel understand.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Contact (HBO Max)

When Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) learns of a mysterious signal coming from a far-off planet, she and other interested parties race to uncover the true meaning of the call and civilization from which it came. Little does she know but an incredible message, one that will send her on the journey of a lifetime, lie hidden in the strange signal.

Why It's A Good Option For Netflix's Away Fans: Throughout Contact, Ellie Arroway is treated like an inferior scientist and not up to the task simply because she is a woman and not because of anything she has or hasn't done. This is a similar treatment to the one Hilary Swank's Emma Green is subjected to in Away, and both titles show what can come from the motivation that lies within their central characters.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

The Path (Hulu)

The Hulu original series The Path follows Eddie Lane (Aaron Paul) as he undergoes a spiritual awakening and begins to question his own beliefs and the structure of the cult of which he and his family belong.

Why It's A Good Option For Netflix's Away Fans: The show has nothing to do with traveling to outer space, but The Path was created by Jessica Goldberg who would go on to serve as the showrunner and one of the writers of Away a couple of years later. If fans of the Netflix series enjoy the numerous discussions on religion and faith in general, then they will surely enjoy this three-season series about a man and his family at a crossroads.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Lost In Space (Netflix)

Set in the distant future, the Netflix series Lost in Space (a remake of the 1965 television show of the same name) follows the Robinson family after they are selected to embark upon an interstellar mission to colonize a far-off star system. But when their ship is damaged, the Robinsons evacuate to a nearby planet where they must survive.

Why It's A Good Option For Netflix's Away Fans: This is just an extremely fun, and strangely poignant space journey involving a family as they come to terms with their new lives. They are forced to put their differences aside, learn about one another, and come up with solutions in order to survive the day and complete their mission. Fans of Away will certainly enjoy the inclusion of family, which provides much-needed warmth to a desolate story.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Tales From The Loop (Amazon)

Tales from the Loop follows the residents in Mercer, Ohio, the home of the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics, which is also known as The Loop. In an attempt to make the impossible possible, researchers and scientists at The Loop uncover and create some spectacular and indescribable things that are beyond our imagination.

Why It's A Good Option For Netflix's Away Fans: You might not think that a show about time loops, physical loops, and half-destroyed machines would have anything to do with Away, but fans of the Netflix series should really check this one out. On the surface, both shows feature strong female leads (Rebecca Hall in Tales from the Loop and Hilary Swank in Away), but both shows tackle the delicate nature of being a parent, especially when time and space separate a mom or dad from their children.

Stream it on Amazon here.

2001: A Space Odyssey (HBO Max)

Stanley Kubrick's 1968 science-fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey attempts to tell the story of humanity as the first man evolved from primates all the way to a state of higher consciousness and everything in between.

Why It's A Good Option For Netflix's Away Fans: There are space movies and there is 2001: A Space Odyssey, which takes things to the next level and then some. Fans of Away's space exploration and the drive to push humans to where they've never been before will certainly enjoy this cult classic from the minds of Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke (who wrote the must-read novelization).

Stream it on HBO Max here.

The Expanse (Amazon)

Set centuries in the future, The Expanse centers around the story of a missing woman that quickly turns into something much darker and larger than any of the characters could have ever guessed.

Why It's A Good Option For Netflix's Away Fans: The science-fiction series, which originally ran on SyFy before being picked up by Amazon for its fourth season, features a more advanced civilization than the one in Away (present-day), but it does offer a look at the future of space travel and colonization of the solar system and beyond. It has a plot that is a little more out there than the Netflix series, but The Expanse does have its more down-to-earth moments.

Stream it on Amazon here.

From The Earth To The Moon (HBO Max)

The HBO docudrama From the Earth to the Moon tells the unprecedented story of the Apollo space program starting in the 1960s and going all the way to the early 1970s. With each of the show's 12 episodes focusing on a different aspect of the program and the astronauts who carried out its missions, viewers are given an in-depth look at some of the most monumental moments in American history.

Why It's A Good Option For Netflix's Away Fans: In order to truly appreciate where Away's astronauts are going with their mission to Mars, you have to take a look at the history of NASA, especially the Apollo missions that first took man to the Moon. Plus, involvement from Tom Hanks and Ron Howard make this a must-watch for anyone with an HBO Max account.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Those are just a few of the great movies and TV shows for fans of Away to watch now that the first season is wrapped up. Did your favorite title make the list or is there something you should have been included? Make sure to sound off in the comments and let the world (and solar system) know.

There have been some great space travel movies throughout the history of cinema, with everything from the 1902 french silent film Le Voyage Dans la Lun (A Trip to the Moon) to Stanley Kubrick's 1969 masterful 2001: A Space Odyssey coming to mind. As the years have gone by there seems to be more and more narratives centered around the idea of space travel with beautifully shot blockbuster masterpieces like the 2014 Christopher Nolan epic Interstellar, and low-budget sci-fi horror thrillers like the 2013 found footage hit Eurpoa Report, and more.

Between 2010 and 2019, audiences around the world were treated to some of the greatest offerings in the history of the genre, so many that you might have forgotten one or two. To remind you of some, I've put together a list of 11 great space travels movies to come out in the past 10 years for you to explore. Buckle up and don't forget your dramamine because this is going to be a wild ride…

Interstellar (2014)

Audiences are still debating the divisive ending of Christopher Nolan's 2014 space/time travel/father and daughter drama, but despite the confusing final act of the nearly three-hour blockbuster, Interstellar remains one of the most inventive and enjoyable movies to come out in the past 10 years, no matter the genre. Not only does it feature one of the best Matthew McConaughey performances and a great score from Hans Zimmer, much of the film wasn't shot on a green screen and offers some pretty revolutionary ideas concerning space travel, relativity, and most of all, humanity's quest to find answers to all of life's questions. Add in some impressive shots of black holes, warm holes, and holes left in the hearts of several of the characters, and you have yourself an adventure worth revisiting six years later. At the very least just go back and watch the insanely beautiful trailer.

Ad Astra (2019)

There were great space travel movies scattered throughout the 2010s like galaxies in the vast universe, and one of the brightest of those was James Gray's melancholic story of a broken man hunting his long-lost father in the depths of space: Ad Astra. Starring Brad Pitt as Roy McBride, the film does an amazing job of turning what seems like an everyday job for its central character into a great odyssey from which we don't know if he'll return. And if he does return, how will the journey affect him? By the time Tommy Lee Jones' Clifford McBride is seen in the flesh, his son has experienced much more than he ever thought he would, and he still has more lessons to learn before it concludes.

First Man (2018)

Damien Chazelle's retelling of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon could have taken a very conventional route similar to something like Apollo 13, but thankfully his 2018 film First Man was anything but conventional. Instead of beaming with patriotism like so many have done before him, the director of La La Land and Whiplash showed a side of Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) that few had ever seen before. By including the death of Armstrong's young daughter in the early goings of the film, the director was able to add depth, emotion, and a different kind of pride to a movie that thumbed its nose at the normal space travel feature. It also avoided all of those over-the-top shots of rockets shooting off into space and instead focused on the Gosling's astronaut and what he was feeling at the time of the launch.

The Martian (2015)

Ridley Scott's epic story of the power of engineering and the human spirit might not be a comedy, but that doesn't mean The Martian isn't an amazing movie deserving of all the credit it has received since its 2015 release. Everything from Matt Damon's performance as stranded astronaut Mark Watney to Jessica Chastain's Melissa Lewis and the rest of Watney's crew and scientists back on Earth who come up with amazing ways of risking life, resources, and tons and tons of cash to get him home is enough to earn it a spot on this list, but that's not all. It has been five years since it first hit theaters, but its shots of space, the martian surface, and labs and facilities on our planet only add to the grand scale of this surprisingly refreshing space travel film.

Gravity (2013)

Unlike the first four movies on this list, Alfonso Cuarón's 2013 space thriller Gravity doesn't so much as deal with astronauts traveling to a far-off destination as much as it focuses on the journey home. Clocking in at 91 minutes (each as action-packed or tense as the last), the perilous journey of Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) surviving the destruction of her ride back home and the death of her entire crew, is something that really stands the test of time. It's only made better with George Clooney's Matt Kowalksi, who helps guide Stone along the way as she finds different methods of getting back to the safety of Earth. The film took home seven Oscars at the 86th Academy Awards, including best director, and it deserved each and every one of them.

Lucy In The Sky (2019)

Loosely based on the real-life story of former astronaut Lisa Nowak, the 2019 space drama Lucy in the Sky follows Lucy Cola (Natalie Portman), an astronaut so impacted by her first trip to space that she no longer feels a connection with her husband or family back home. What follows is a woman's obsession with getting back to space, no matter what it takes or will cost her. As the movie goes on, Lucy becomes obsessed with two of her fellow astronauts and that's where things take a turn. It failed to gain any traction at the box office and was panned by critics when it was initially released, but it still offers an in-depth look at the psyche of someone deeply affected by space travel.

Life (2017)

In addition to all the grand and critically acclaimed space travel movies releases in the 2010s, there was also a great deal of horror and hard sci-fi thrillers to come out. One of the beset examples of that is the terrifying alien flick Life which boasted an incredible cast that included Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Rebecca Ferguson as members of a crew aboard the International Space Station who receive a soil sample from the Martian surface that is believed to contain life. Once the sample is brought aboard the ship, the madness begins to unfold, slowly at first, before reaching a fever pitch as an alien life form takes out the scientists one by one as they try to prevent it from getting to Earth.

High Life (2018)

Robert Pattinson is preparing for the release of one of his biggest features yet in Tenet, and still filming what could prove to be a career-defining role in 2021's The Batman, but the former Twilight star isn't a newcomer when it comes to sci-fi thrillers and moody space movies. For example, take a look at Claire Denis' 2018 sci-fi drama High Life in which Pattinson plays Monte, one of several prisoners with death sentences sent to the depths of space to find a black hole where they are to extract a new form of energy. In addition to dealing with dark matter surrounding the infinite abyss that is the black hole, the film also deals with the birth of children through artificial insemination, finding one's place in the universe, and coming to terms with one's past.

The Wandering Earth (2019)

You might remember The Wandering Earth not because you saw the 2019 Chinese sci-fi epic but because of the headlines inspired by the fact that it brought in $700 million at the box office, with less than $6 million of that coming domestically. Despite not too many people seeing it during its brief run in the United States, The Wandering Earth reached a new audience on Netflix, where people got to see the ridiculousness of the movie's plot. Set in 2061, the story centers around a civilization on Earth who feels its more viable to simply move Earth to another star when the Sun turns into a red giant. This unconventional approach to the genre is pretty revolutionary and offers a breath of fresh air (unlike for the inhabitants of the planet in transit) to the premise of a space travel feature.

Europa Report (2013)

Found footage films were all the rage in the early years of the 2010s and it was only a matter of time before something like Europa Report hit theaters and streaming services around the world. This 2013 sci-fi horror film splices together footage from the fictional Europa One mission as it sets off to Jupiter's moon of the same name after it's discovered to potentially harbor life. Even after the crew loses contact with Earth, they push forward with their mission as they see how far they are willing to go in order to learn if life does exist outside the comfort of our home planet.

Hidden Figures (2016)

And then there is the 2016 biographical drama Hidden Figures, which technically doesn't deal with the main characters going and traveling through space, but its portrayal of the female mathematicians who were instrumental in helping American astronauts leave Earth's surface in the early 1960s. Based on a true story, the Academy Award-nominated picture takes an extensive look at the ups and downs of the African American women who fought racial injustices at NASA while the space agency was fighting the Soviets in the heat of the Space Race. And plus, the performances from Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe make Hidden Figures worth it alone.

This isn't even beginning to scratch the surface of all the great space travel movies that came out between 2010 and 2019, so let me know your favorites that might have slipped through the cracks.

The name Ruth Negga might be unknown to many, but you probably recognize her face from a wide range of film and television projects. On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., she played one of the series’ most intriguing and memorable secondary characters, the Inhuman known as Raina. Negga also had a lead role for four seasons on the AMC series Preacher. She played the no nonsense Tulip opposite Joseph Gilgun and Dominic Cooper. The actress earned her first Oscar nomination for her role as Mildred Loving in Loving. In 2019, Negga reunited with Brad Pitt in the critically acclaimed Ad Astra.

Ruth Negga may have only recently started to become more well-known in North America, but she’s been putting her stamp on the show business world for over a decade. The Ethiopian-Irish actress has worked on the London stage, been in some of the most well-known UK series and played a legendary British singer. She’s far from an overnight sensation.

If you’re like me, you have probably seen Ruth Negga in one project or another, and have been enthralled with her talent and the characters that she brings to life. You’ve also probably been intrigued to learn more about this fascinating actress, so let's dive in.

Ruth Negga Played Two Different Lead Roles In Hamlet

Ruth Negga made history by becoming the first black Ophelia at the National Theatre in London. She played her from 2010 to 2011. Negga then took on an equally complex role as the title character in Hamlet. She first played him on the Dublin stage at the Gate Theatre in 2018. In 2020, she reprised this role along with the original Dublin cast in New York. Negga was supposed to play Hamlet starting February 1, 2020 for five weeks at Brooklyn’s St. Ann’s Warehouse. In her New York Times interview, she had this to say about playing Hamlet:

Ruth Negga isn’t the first woman to play Hamlet. As the New York Times states, female Hamlets have dated back to as far as 1741. Negga has been highly praised for her embodiment of this complex, haunted and ultimately doomed prince.

David Bowie Was Ruth Negga’s Childhood Crush

In an interview also featured on the InStyle interview page, Ruth Negga was asked a series of questions. One of them was about her first movie star crush. She answered David Bowie in Labyrinth and Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. She also mentioned in several interviews that Bowie’s performance in Labyrinth is what helped her decide that she wanted to be an actress. She told The Telegraph that seeing him appear in the film as a child made her want to start acting, adding:

In a Vogue interview, she said that Trainspotting and La Haine, the latter being a French film that depicted racial violence, helped her decide to explore the idea of acting as a career. When she turned 18, she decided to head out into the world and figure out how to act.

Ruth Negga Is Quite A Shy Person

The Ad Astra actress has been in some of the most popular movies, received an Oscar nomination, is an ambassador for Louis Vuitton, worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood and performed live on stage in various productions, but that doesn’t stop the actress from being shy.

On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Negga spoke about her shyness. He complimented her on her bold outfit choice that had dragon prints. She then told him how she uses fashion as armor and how many shy people use fashion in that way. She then expressed how nervous she felt being on his show. Negga then redefined herself as a “shy attention seeker.” The Ethiopian-Irish actress went on to describe acting as a sort of safety net, which allows her to get attention in a safe way.

Ruth Negga Geeked Out Over Meryl Streep’s Speech Shoutout

Let’s go back to the 2017 Golden Globe awards, Meryl Streep received the Cecil B. DeMille honorary award. In her acceptance speech, she talked about the diversity of the nominees, and mentioned Ruth Negga’s birthplace, her nomination and her Loving character. It was to make an overall political statement about the need of foreigners in the country to create real art.

It was a small mention, but Ruth Negga very much appreciated it. On Jimmy Kimmel Live, she said she was still floating and trying to absorb it. Negga then joked that it was a “bit creepy” that Streep knew so much about her. While talking to The Day, she called it “extraordinary” hearing Streep mention her during the speech. During an interview with The Guardian after the Golden Globes, she also said it was still surreal and felt like these moments were career-changing.

Social Media Terrifies Ruth Negga

Like most sane people, especially public figures, Ruth Negga fears social media. In an interview with InStyle, she shared her thoughts and concerns about being active on apps like Instagram and Twitter. To put it simply, Negga said it “terrifies the shit out of me." She also said that she doesn’t go on Facebook, which means she’s usually the last person to find out things surrounding her friends and family.

This fear of social media makes sense considering how powerful the tool has become in helping, and sometimes destroying, the reputation of a major movie or a rising star. This is also a fear that's understandable for someone who describes themselves as shy and who is very private about her personal life.

Ruth Negga’s Parents Worked In The Medical Field

Ruth Negga’s mother and father met at Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Her father was Ethiopian and her mother Irish. Negga and her mother fled Ethiopia when she was about four years old because political violence broke out. This unrest led to the 1983-1985 famine in Ethiopia. Negga and her mother headed Limerick, Ireland, and her father was supposed to join them eventually. Unfortunately, he died three years later from a car accident. Though Negga didn’t return to Ethiopia until she was 18, in the aforementioned Guardian interview, she said:

Ruth Negga’s acting career and personal life are equally fascinating, so I’m looking forward to seeing the evolution of her career and how her star continues to rise. Prior to the current health crisis, she was filming a movie called Passing. It also stars Tessa Thompson, Alexander Skarsgård and André Holland. Passing began filming in November 2019, but doesn’t have an official release date.

Ad Astra is available to stream on HBO Max. Stream it here.

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Of the recent films that aim to imagine what future we may be heading toward, it seems that Ad Astra is one of the most accurate and, in some ways, the most optimistic. That being said, to say that the film itself is optimistic in its content is a whole different discussion entirely. In the somber interplanetary adventure from co-writer and director James Gray, Academy Award-winner Brad Pitt plays Astronaut Roy McBride, who is tasked with a top secret mission to search the deepest reaches of outer space for his long lost father (Tommy Lee Jones). His expedition takes the audience on a tour of a futuristic society that does not feel far out of reach (including commercial space travel), but it's also an often horrifying cautionary tale that might even keep Elon Musk up at night.

Ad Astra is far from being the first film that might discourage children from pursuing their dreams of walking on the Moon (especially out of fear of an ambush by space pirates), but it is arguably one of the best of its subgenre and possesses some fascinating themes and ideas. If you're a fan of that kind of stuff, the good news is that many are available to stream or rent on many of your favorite platforms – including these twelve titles:

2001: A Space Odyssey (HBO Max)

Name just about any futuristic space travel adventure made in the last 50 years (Ad Astra most definitely included) and you can easily see how it was inspired by this highly influential sci-fi classic from one of the most highly influential filmmakers in history. Winner of the 1969 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Stanley Kubrick's viscerally stunning adaptation of the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke is an epic battle of wits between man and machine in the midst of an expedition to find the origins of mysterious artifact found on the Moon.

Stream 2001: A Space Odyssey on HBO Max here

Rent 2001: A Space Odyssey on Amazon here

First Man (Amazon Rental)

Just a year after the Moon served as the starting point of the adventure in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, in reality Earth's lunar satellite was a long sought-after destination that mankind finally reached when Neil Armstrong stepped onto its surface. You will feel like a front seat passenger of that journey in Damien Chazelle's First Man – an engrossing, in-depth retelling of the historic Moon landing through the eyes of Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), who is revealed to be a more complicated and socially distant instant individual than most people may believe. (one could point out that describes either Brad Pitt or Tommy Lee Jones' characters in Ad Astra too).

Rent First Man on Amazon here

Apollo 13 (Amazon Rental)

As previously mentioned, Ad Astra does serve as an effective lesson in the dangers of leaving Earth, but Ron Howard's pulse-pounding, Academy Award-winning 1995 thriller is the ultimate cautionary space travel tale because it's based on a terrifying true story. The source of the iconic quote "Houston, we have a problem," Apollo 13 stars Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon as a trio of astronauts who, along with their earthbound colleagues at NASA, must devise a plan to safely bring the titular spacecraft home after it suffers internal damage mid-mission.

Rent Apollo 13 on Amazon here.

Space Cowboys (HBO Max)

One could almost consider 2000's Space Cowboys to be a piece of alternative history imagining what could have happened if the men involved in the Apollo 13 disaster actually missed out on visiting space until they hit their golden years. Such is the case for four retired air force pilots (played by director Clint Eastwood, James Garner, and Ad Astra stars Donald Sutherland and Tommy Lee Jones) tasked with putting a failing satellite back into orbit. It's a fun, unearthly action film about second chances that does indeed feature the N*SYNC tune of the same name in its soundtrack.

Stream Space Cowboys on HBO Max here

Rent Space Cowboys on Amazon here

The Martian (Amazon)

Yet another fairly recent film that makes a space explorer's life look like a freaking nightmare is The Martian, which is probably the most lighthearted title to fall under that category (enough so that this highly entertaining futuristic thriller based on Andy Weir's novel and directed by Ridley Scott won the 2016 Golden Globe for Best Picture in the Musical or Comedy category). Matt Damon also won a Globe for his charismatic performance as an astronaut stranded on the Red Planet, which very loosely parallels Brad Pitt's performance in Ad Astra (like if Roy McBride were a personable human being with a sly sense of humor... which he is not).

Rent The Martian on Amazon here

The Man Who Fell To Earth (Amazon Prime)

Like Ad Astra, this 1976 sci-fi drama falls more into the vein of arthouse societal commentary than B-movie spectacle. The Man Who Fell to Earth follows an alien who becomes an entrepreneur on Earth in order to raise funds to build a spacecraft and return to his dying planet, but human greed becomes an insurmountable obstacle. If that concept alone is not enough to lure you in, perhaps seeing late musician David Bowie in his first starring role as the title character will.

Stream The Man Who Fell To Earth on Amazon Prime here

Rent The Man Who Fell To Earth on Amazon here.

Gravity (Amazon Rental)

If you ask me, the most dazzling and technically brilliant scene in Ad Astra happens near the beginning when Roy McBride miraculously survives the sudden destruction of a space antenna that sends him hurdling toward the Earth. Imagine the suffocating intensity of that scene for 90 minutes and you have Gravity, a gorgeous visual achievement starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts left stranded in the middle of space after a deadly accident. Earning director Alfonso Cuaron his first Academy Award in 2014, this moving, brilliantly acted space adventure does not give you a single moment to catch your breath.

Rent Gravity on Amazon here

The Wandering Earth (Netflix)

The catalyst of Roy McBride's mission to the furthest edges of the solar system in Ad Astra is the discovery of massive surges of energy threatening the Earth which he has been tasked to stop. However, in The Wandering Earth, the plan set forth to save the planet from a dying sun is not to leave it, but to literally move the Earth somewhere else by constructing giant thrusters that essentially turn it into a giant spacecraft. This Chinese import, exclusively available on Netflix, is the kind of high-concept sci-fi thriller that is still irresistibly fascinating even as it resorts to Roland Emmerich levels of over-the-top.

Stream The Wandering Earth on Netflix here

Europa Report (Hulu)

The most important detail about Roy McBride's mission in Ad Astra, and what truly motivates him to accept it, is that energy surges that threaten the planet may be tied to an expedition to find intelligent life on other planets led by his father years ago. Of course, the search did not go so well, and neither does a similar mission depicted in Sebastián Cordero's Europa Report, which follows space travelers as they find more than they bargained for on Jupiter's moon of the same name. District 9's Sharlto Copley stars in this intense 2013 found footage thriller about the sacrifices that are often required to survive the unforgiving environment of unexplored territory.

Stream Europa Repot on Hulu here

Rent Europa Report on Amazon here

Interstellar (Amazon Rental)

Writer/director Christopher Nolan tried his hand at pre-apocalyptic science-fiction in 2014 with Interstellar, another technical marvel about a group of astronauts tasked with saving humanity on a dying Earth by searching for a new home. Of course, the stunning visuals and cataclysmic threats are not all that earns this Oscar-winner parallels with Ad Astra. The true heart of the film is the relationship between Matthew McConaughey's Cooper and his daughter, Murph (played as an adult by Jessica Chastain) kept apart by a wormhole that extends their distance by decades.

Rent Interstellar on Amazon here

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (Netflix)

The painful distance between Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and his father, Dr. Henry Jones, Sr. (Sean Connery), is more metaphorical than the relationship between Roy McBride and his father, Clifford, in Ad Astra. Yet, it is equally relatable, especially when the famed archaeologist must track down his missing, estranged dad and learn to work out their differences while struggling to beat the Nazis in a quest for the Holy Grail. Now, despite the fact that the dysfunctional father-son theme is really the only thing that Ad Astra has in common with the wholly earthbound Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, that is not going to keep you from watching, will it?

Stream Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade on Netflix here

Rent Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade on Amazon here

What do you think? Are you an Ad Astra fan because the film reminded you of these movies, or are you a fan of that film in spite of these movies? Let us known in the comments and be sure to check back for more information and updates on Brad Pitt’s space odyssey, as well as plenty more recommendations of what you can stream or rent, here on CinemaBlend.

Since jumping into the public eye with an appearance in Aerosmith's "Crazy" music video in 1994, Liv Tyler has gone from front man Steven Tyler's daughter to a highly decorated actress who has helped lead franchises like The Lord of the Rings, as well as smaller projects like That Thing You Do, to a level of unparalleled success. And in those nearly 26 years under the spotlight, Tyler has become one of the motivated and interesting figures in show business.

There are just so many interesting things about Liv Tyler. For example, take her love and dedication for her children, meditation and the excitement that pours out of her whenever she speaks about one of her countless movie and television roles. And with her most recent appearance in James Gray's science fiction father-son drama Ad Astra getting another go with the movie's HBO premiere in June 2020, now's as good a time as any to take a look at some of the most fascinating facts about one of the most versatile and prolific actresses of our time.

Liv Tyler Didn't Know The True Identity Of Her Father Until She Was 11 Years Old

Just about everyone around knows that Liv Tyler is the daughter of rock and roll legend Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, but the actress' mother, Bebe Buell, hid her biological father's identity until Tyler was almost a teenager. As far as Tyler knew, her father was her mother's longtime partner, Todd Rundgen, but a chance encounter when the girl was 11 years old changed that forever.

Liv Tyler and her mom were at one of Todd Rundgen's concerts when they ran into Steven Tyler, and Liv immediately knew there was something going on. In a 2017 interview with The Guardian, Liv Tyler described the feeling of figuring out he was her father as being something bigger than herself, stating:

Over time, Liv Tyler started to spend more time with her biological father and realized they had a lot in common, including their looks and some of their idiosyncrasies that she hadn't shared with one anyone else.

Liv Tyler Made Her Acting Debut In Aerosmith's "Crazy" Music Video

One year before she showed up in films like Heavy and Empire Records, Liv Tyler was spending much of her time modeling or showing up in television commercials, but that all changed when she appeared in the Aerosmith music video for "Crazy" in 1994. Starring alongside Alicia Silverstone as two schoolgirls who skip class and go on a raucous adventure in a manner similar to Thelma and Louise, the video helped propel the young actress to superstardom seemingly overnight.

This was Liv Tyler's first major acting gig, as she wouldn't make her film debut until later that year with the psychological thriller Silent Fall. It's crazy to think about how quickly Tyler became a star after appearing in perhaps one of the most watched and important music videos of mid-'90s MTV.

Liv Tyler Kept Arwen's Ears From The Lord Of The Rings, But They Melted When She Left Them In Her Car

It's no secret that actors and actresses like to bring home costumes, props or other strange finds from movie sets, and it looks like Liv Tyler falls into that camp, but not to the best of results. While sitting down with The Late Show host and notorious The Lord of the Rings fanatic Stephen Colbert in 2018, Tyler explained that she took her character Arwen's Elven ears home from the set, but it didn't end as well as she hoped, stating:

Although Liv Tyler couldn't produce the melted ears for Stephen Colbert during their interview, she did bring the sword her character used in the movie, and even let the late night talk show host hold it for a minute before the conversation switched topics.

Liv Tyler Considered Quitting Acting Before Getting A Role On The Leftovers

Liv Tyler's performance as Meg Abbott, a mysterious woman seduced into joining the Guilty Remnant in the HBO series The Leftovers, is probably one of the best of the series, but before being cast in the role, the actress was considering stepping away from acting entirely because she didn't know how to make a place for herself in a world so heavily dominated by social media. Tyler went into great detail about the struggle in a 2017 interview with the Irish Examiner, where she had this to say about her thought process after her audition:

Since that fateful conversation with herself, Liv Tyler has gone on to star in shows like Gunpowder, Harlots and 9-1-1: Lone Star, as well as films like Wilding and Ad Astra.

Liv Tyler Had Long Admired Ad Astra Director James Gray Before Being Cast

Although she doesn't have much screen time in James Gray's 2019 science fiction drama Ad Astra, Liv Tyler's portrayal of Brad Pitt's Roy McBride's estranged wife Eve is one of the most captivating and emotional performances in the movie. And after hearing Tyler talk about her desire to work with imaginative director during a 20th Century Studios promotional interview, it's easy to see why she gave it her all:

So just imagine how excited Liv Tyler was when she got the call from James Gray about coming aboard for a role that was described as a presence and not fully defined from the outset. Instead of having a role with all her scenes and lines worked out, Tyler was able to work with Gray and the film's producers to bring the character to life.

Liv Tyler Believes Practicing Transcendental Meditation Has Made Her A Better Mother

There are countless ways of dealing with and managing stress, and for Liv Tyler, her method of choice is transcendental meditation, a technique that involves sitting with your eyes closed and repeating a mantra for around 20 minutes two times a day. Speaking at a charity event for the David Lynch Foundation in 2012 (via the National Association of Professional Women), Tyler spoke about her experience with transcendental meditation and the impact it had on her as a mother, saying:

It should come as no surprise that Liv Tyler finds ways of dealing with the stress and daily struggles of trying to balance parenthood with a busy film and television career. And with a career as busy, long-lasting and fruitful as the one Tyler has had over the course of nearly 30 years, it looks like she's found something that works.

Those are just six fascinating facts about Liv Tyler, her life and her remarkable career. Make sure to let us know in the comments if there were any facts about the actress that you think I missed. And if you missed the Lord of the Rings cast reunion, don't worry, because we have you covered here on CinemaBlend.

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Warning: spoilers for Ad Astra are in play. If you haven’t seen the film yet, return to Earth, and blast off once you’ve caught the film for yourself.

By the time Ad Astra’s ending sees Brad Pitt completing a mission that takes him to the depths of known space, an audience member wouldn’t be faulted for being confused about what just happened. What seems to start as a routine “mission into space” turns into a journey of emotional catharsis, with some punctuated moments of action.

So naturally, when you get to those last moments that see Pitt’s astronaut Roy McBride reevaluating life in light of learning the true legacy of his father, Clifford (Tommy Lee Jones), it might feel a bit blindsiding. Have no fear though, as we’re here to discuss not only what happened at the end of director James Gray’s Ad Astra, but also what it means in the entire structure of the larger story at work.

What Happened At The End Of Ad Astra

Father and son clash on the outskirts of Neptune, as Roy, disobeying orders from his superiors at U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM), travels out to try and bring his father home. The only problem is, Clifford doesn’t want to return, as he readily admits he left his family and Earth for his “destiny”: to find intelligent life, no matter the cost.

Far beyond his original task of merely playing the role of bait to draw his father out of exile, Ad Astra’s mission to save the Earth from the supposedly mutinous Clifford turns out to be a big misunderstanding. The Surge that threatens Earth, and life in all of the universe, was a colossal accident, not some sort of villainous plot on the elder McBride’s part.

A scuffle between Roy and Clifford results in the son having to let go of the father, as Clifford would rather float into the vastness of space than live with the knowledge that there’s no intelligent life in the stars. Retrieving the vast treasure trove of data his father gathered for The Lima Project, the mission to find extra-terrestrial life out among the stars, Roy returns to Earth a changed man. He is able to reconnect with humanity in a way we haven’t seen before, with his marriage to estranged wife Eve (Liv Tyler) possibly being mended.

Where Ad Astra’s Conflict Really Comes From

Despite the conflict in Ad Astra being originally set up as simply hunting down a madman on the edge of space, the greatest threats and agents of change in Roy’s journey are the things he notices on his journey. The journey, not the destination, is where the beating heart of this movie lies, as the burden of expectations is the true villain of this narrative.

Throughout his life, Roy McBride is trying to live up to the shadow of his father’s work with The Lima Project. He shuns personal connections, and anything that feels like a normal life, to keep his eyes on his personal mission to the stars. To him, space travel is still one of the great equalizers, and the quest to find higher meaning in the universe is a siren’s call to him, as it was to Clifford.

However, we slowly see his Ad Astra worldview break down with each step in his journey. Roy slowly learns that humanity’s obsession with space is no longer special. The Moon looks like a Newark Airport style tourist trap, with raiders fighting it out for resources. And with the knowledge that there is no extra-terrestrial life out there, Brad Pitt’s protagonist walks away with one key takeaway: “Now we know, we’re all we’ve got”.

Ad Astra’s conflict originally looks to be about Roy finding his father and stopping a horrific event from happening. But the real struggle is Roy learning the truth about Clifford’s legacy, humanity’s journey to space, and ultimately his decision to reconnect with humanity itself as a result.

How Roy Reconnects With Humanity Through Ad Astra

Dedicated to the mission of the space program, Ad Astra introduces us to Brad Pitt’s Roy as a person who prefers solitude. He enjoys working on the International Space Antenna, and pretends as much as he can to enjoy other people’s company. So when SPACECOM asks him to go on a mission to establish contact with his long lost father, Roy jumps at the chance.

His obsession breaks apart gradually, as we previously discussed, and ultimately Roy chooses to reconnect with his humanity at the end of Ad Astra. Roy makes this choice because of two big developments, the first of which is his disillusion with the world of space travel.

But in another sort of twist in Ad Astra’s story, SPACECOM turns out to be less than trusting when it comes to Roy being able to potentially kill his father, and destroy the Lima Project outpost, in order to prevent another surge from wiping out all life. With the substitute father he devoted his life and time to turning functionally using him for their own means, and the truth about Clifford McBride’s own legacy being readily apparent, Roy chooses to recommit himself to life on Earth.

How Roy’s Relationship With Humanity Defines Ad Astra

With the line, “I look forward to the day my solitude ends, and I am home.”, Roy shows how his space journey has changed him. By the end of Ad Astra, the first thing he’s greeted with upon landing on Earth is a hand reaching out to help him, and he gladly accepts. Knowing humanity only has itself to rely on, Roy McBride is now officially a member of the human race yet again.

Ad Astra, at its core, is about a man who, once he learns some hard truths about the system he idealizes, allows himself to become human again. The great question, “Are we alone in the universe?” is answered two fold. While there’s no intelligent life, we as a species have each other to keep us company in the great expanse.

The answers humanity seeks aren’t “out there”, they’re at home; because if we can’t deal with our problems on Earth, they’re just going to repeat themselves anywhere we go. Learning the truth about how much his father and SPACECOM truly value him as a person, Brad Pitt’s character is able to return home to Earth with a clear head, trying to make things right with his wife, and humanity at large.

Ad Astra is currently available for rent or buy through various retailers, but can also be seen on HBO Max as of Saturday, June 6. If you’re not a subscriber, and would like to watch/rewatch the film, you can check out the current 7-day free trial offer that’s available to get in on the action.

He is Brad freakin’ Pitt, and he never forgets it. It is that confidence that helped Brad Pitt earn his first acting Oscar (Best Supporting Actor) for playing stuntman Cliff Booth in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, which is easily one of the most badass roles of his career.

In fact, the 56-year-old, who had previously received an Academy Award for producing the Best Picture winner 12 Years a Slave in 2013, has played quite a few badasses (in various senses of the word) throughout the years. It is why, even at a time when he is technically a veteran of the industry, Brad Pitt is still sought out to play roles like a bold space explorer in Ad Astra, a World War II tank commander in Fury, and an invisible vigilante in Deadpool 2.

Yet those are only a couple of the notable characters that have made Brad Pitt one of the most badass actors alive. If you want to hear about more, I have 11 right below here, ranked by badassness.

11. John Smith (Mr. & Mrs. Smith)

World class secret agent. Deadly assassin. Devoted suburban husband. These are the lives that John Smith, while not privy to the fact that his wife, Jane (Angelina Jolie, who would eventually become his real-life spouse) has the same job and he is her next target. Coincidentally, she is his.

Directed by Edge of Tomorrow helmer Doug Liman from a screenplay by Simon Kinberg, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, is a fun, heartwarming romantic comedy about a strained marriage given a second chance when they realize their failure to kill each other must mean that they are made for each other. Shout out to Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie, too, of course, for doing what they do best: making such a despicable occupation look so effortlessly cool.

10. Gerry Lane (World War Z)

What sets author Max Brooks’ acclaimed oral history of a global zombie outbreak apart from other stories of reanimated, flesh-eating corpses is that World War Z plays out more like a geo-political thriller than an action/horror hybrid. Star and producer Brad Pitt made the film adaptation into an action/horror hybrid, but at least made it fun by giving us a hero worth rooting for.

Retired United Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is forced to leave his wife and children behind (in safety, nonetheless) to travel the world in search of a cure to the pandemic turning people into mindless, angry, cannibalistic monsters. What makes Pitt’s World War Z protagonist a badass is the lengths he will go to save the world, even if that means giving his own life.

9. Rusty Ryan (Ocean’s Eleven)

It may have been Danny Ocean’s show, but Rusty Ryan was the showrunner. The secret to how Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven-- about a parolee (George Clooney) who recruits 10 other professional criminals to nab the ultimate Las Vegas jackpot by robbing three casinos in one night -- became one of the coolest movies of its, or really any, generation is, arguably, Brad Pitt.

From his impeccably calm line delivery, aspirational sense of style, and the unusual aura of sophistication he brings to snacking on a carton of nachos, Brad Pitt made his character the ultimate badass of Ocean’s Eleven. The criminal lifestyle is the one that comes with a price, but Rusty Ryan makes it look priceless.

8. Tristan Ludlow (Legends of the Fall)

There are several key moments throughout the 1990s which could be credited as the beginning of Brad Pitt's reputation as a Hollywood hunk and several that could mark the beginning of his reputation as a badass. I feel that a good candidate for both might be the 1994 World War I-era drama Legends of the Fall.

Brad Pitt gives a Golden Globe nominated performance as Tristan Ludlow, one of three brothers living in the Montana wilderness with their father (Anthony Hopkins), whose relationship is tested when he and his brother Alfred (Aidan Quinn) fall in love with Susannah (Julia Ormond), the fiancée of their younger brother, Samuel (Henry Thomas), after he is killed in the war. Of course, Susannah cannot help but choose Tristan, the charming war hero and globe-trotting man of the wild. You could also say he is the kind of man who would willfully go toe-to-toe with a bear.

7. Achilles (Troy)

In 1250 B.C., Trojan prince Paris (Orlando Bloom) convinces Spartan Queen, Helen (Diane Kruger), to leave her husband (Brendan Gleeson) for him, igniting a war. Keeping Troy’s undefeated reputation in mind, the Greeks enlist the help of the greatest warrior known to man: Achilles (Brad Pitt)

If there is just one reason to watch director Wolfgang Peterson’s 163-minute 2004 adaptation of Homer’s poem “The Iliad,” it is Brad Pitt’s performance as the resilient, unmatched, legendary Achilles, tearing through his enemies like a knife through hot butter with no sense of mercy. Even if Troy turned out to be a critical misfire with underwhelming box office returns and Pitt himself credits it as a huge turning point in how he chooses projects, at least he can credit his role as an undisputed badass.

6. David Mills (Se7en)

In a world defined by unrelenting grimness, where corruption is its spirit and humanity is its prey, Lt. William Stone (Morgan Freeman) is desperate for an escape. Meanwhile, newly minted hotshot detective David Mills (Brad Pitt), his partner on a case tracking down a killer inspired by the Seven Deadly sins, is ready to grab this miserable existence by the balls and bring it to its knees, if only he knew what fate awaits him.

Until its devastating conclusion, Brad Pitt’s David Mills spends most of David Fincher’s grisly 1995 noir masterpiece Se7en exhibiting a nearly indulgent outlook to his otherwise dismal job, unfazed by his partner’s dispirited nature and assuming himself to be an incorruptible force against evil. It is an admirable and decidedly badass quality to attain, despite proving to have no avail in the film’s unnamed setting: a place that evil calls home.

5. Mickey O’Neil (Snatch)

Brad Pitt’s undeniably badass role in Guy Ritchie’s classic sophomore directorial outing is purely a testament to the actor’s physicality. This is not only due to Irish Gypsy Mickey O’Neil intense fighting ability, but because there is not a single line of decipherable dialogue spoken by the character throughout the film.

Brad Pitt was actually so impressed by Guy Ritchie’s 1998 debut Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels that he personally asked the filmmaker to be in whatever he would do next, inspiring him to rewrite Snatch with a role specially created for the actor. This explains why the often misunderstood boxer’s role feels so loose from the diamond hunt at the center of the plot, yet Mickey O’Neil still ended up becoming, arguably, the film’s most memorable (and undeniably badass) character.

4. Sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Fury)

I guess Brad Pitt just has the look of a 1940s military officer because Fury, from director David Ayer, is one of two World War II-era films mentioned on this list, but he has starred in a handful. His role as a gruff tank commander fixing to toughen up his young new gunner (Logan Lerman) is one of his darker and, of course, badass characters in that regard.

The quality of his fatherly leadership and resilience in the face of the enemy makes Sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier an army of his own. His decision to stay and face a fleet of German soldiers even with his titular tank is an act of valor few people would be willing to make.

3. Cliff Booth (Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood)

Leonardo DiCaprio played the role of film and TV star Rick Dalton in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. However, I walked out of Quentin Tarnatino’s love letter to the industry’s Golden Age feeling that I would much rather be his second banana, Cliff Booth.

Brad Pitt won an Oscar for making an overly confident, down-on-his-luck stuntman who may or may not have murdered his wife, somehow, the most likable gent in a movie that fuses a fictionalized behind the scenes look at celebrity in the 1960s with revisionist history lesson in the Manson Family. Even during his hilarious quarrel with Mike Moh’s Bruce Lee to his intense visit to Spahn Ranch to his bloody, acid-laced final stand-off nearly the film’s conclusion, Cliff Booth never ceases to emit the kind of charming magnetism you would have to kill for (which, in his case, is not unlikely).

2. Lt. Aldo Raine (Inglourious Basterds)

Despite the fact that Brad Pitt has top billing, the real hero of Inglourious Basterds is not his character, Lt. Aldo Raine, but Melanie Laurent’s French-Jewish cinema operator Shoshanna. However, every minute of screen time featuring the leader of the special unit of Nazi scalpers is owned by Pitt.

The hick-accented, neck-scarred soldier’s commitment to bringing the greatest villains of World War II to justice, made especially evident by the eloquent savagery of his introductory speech to his Jewish-American brethren, makes him as fearsome as it does admirable. Lt. Aldo Raine may have his moments of bumbling (essentially giving up any effort for a convincing Italian accent at a movie premiere crawling with Nazis), Brad Pitt’s first collaboration with writer and director Quentin Tarantino was a match made in history rewriting heaven.

1. Tyler Durden (Fight Club)

Many would agree that Tyler Durden is the ultimate Brad Pitt role, if not one of the top 10 ultimate movie characters in cinematic history. As the unlikely companion to Edward Norton’s anxious nobody in the formation of the titular Fight Club, he redefines what men aspire to be, for better or worse.

It is difficult not to get lost in, and almost be inspired by, the clearly heinous and despicable philosophies preached by Tyler Durden in this 1999 adaptation of Chuck Palhniuk’s novel that satirizes modern consumerism’s influence on toxic masculinity, but how can you resist the words coming from a guy who looks like you want look and is free in all the ways that you are not? Fight Club is yet another collaboration between Brad Pitt and David Fincher that sees the world through a deeply cynical and antagonistic lens, which the unforgettable portrayal of Tyler Durden makes an irresistible classic.

Needless to say, Brad Pitt is, and has always been, a badass. But, he is even more than that: he is an Oscar-winning badass.

Out of the films that were released in 2019, only a select handful of movies made it into the nominated class of 2020’s Academy Awards. Of course, it wouldn’t be the Oscars if there wasn’t a healthy field of snubbed titles that the public, and maybe some voters, felt deserved better.

10 films felt especially robbed when the Academy Awards nominations were handed down this week, with at most a single nomination to their credit, and at least absolutely nothing to show for themselves. In honor of these fallen flicks who had some buzz but couldn’t make the cut, we would like to present the 10 best 2019 movies that were snubbed by the Oscars, ranked from worst to best.

10. Frozen II

While 2020 Best Original Song nominee, and soon to be sing-along experience, Frozen II might not have made the same impact that Frozen did back in its day, it cannot be denied that the film is an absolute hit. Parent and child alike returned to Arendelle, as Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) embarked on an adventure into the unknown past of their family history, replete with the sort of songs and humor that made the series a modern classic.

Somehow, the Best Animated Film category eluded Frozen II, and as far as snubs go, that feels like a pretty big one. With the original film not only getting the Best Animated Film nod, it actually won those honors back in 2014. So at the very least, the 2019 movie felt like a sure fire attendee at the 2020 Oscars. But, as history has shown us, sometimes even the popular kids get put on ice.

9. Richard Jewell

Director Clint Eastwood’s account of the media circus and persecution of Richard Jewell’s eponymous protagonist hit the box office with a mixed bag of reviews that saw the film falter upon release. And yet, despite the controversy and the reactions that saw the examination of this moment in modern American history, there was still a fair amount of praise given in certain fields.

In particular, performances from members of Richard Jewell’s cast have gained a favorable reaction, with Kathy Bates actually getting a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her portrayal of Barbara Jewell. But not only did the film seem like a ripe pick for a dark horse Best Picture candidate, actor Paul Walter Hauser felt like a solid pick as an outlier for the Best Actor race as well.

8. Hustlers

Writer/director Lorene Scafaria looked like a contender for not only a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for her work on Hustlers, but a Best Director nod seemed in the bag as well. And if we’re talking about sure things, Jennifer Lopez was such a solid lock for Best Supporting Actress, you could have practically printed the invitations to her after party months ago.

And yet, when the big morning came, this dramatization of a true ring of strippers who fleeced the rich and powerful somehow came up empty. In fact, Hustlers is one of the 2019 movies that was totally shut out of the 2020 Oscars race this year. Get ready, because this isn’t even the controversial Academy Awards freeze out of this year’s class; despite J Lo's empty handedness being severely called out by the internet.

7. The Farewell

Another movie in a similar boat as Hustlers is writer/director Lulu Wang’s The Farewell, a film based on her own experiences involving her family hiding a diagnosis of terminal illness from her paternal grandmother. With a rosy outlook instilled by the film’s Golden Globes nominations, and in one special case a history making win for Awkwafina in the category of Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, the Oscar outlook seemed to show a lot of promise.

Of course, The Farewell bid goodbye to any sort of Academy Awards wins pretty quickly, as another shutout found the movie’s fans rather upset. Not even a Best Picture nomination was visited upon the film, nor was there a nomination for Awkwafina for Best Actress, or for Lulu Wang in the categories of Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director.

6. The Lighthouse

The ever present spectre of genre bias has yet again reared its head at the Academy Awards, providing horror fans with yet another case of agita as Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse only saw one Oscar nomination to its name. While Jarin Blaschke’s Best Cinematography nomination is indeed a cause for celebration, some expected more for this atmospheric horror involving two seemingly doomed lighthouse keepers.

In fact, the most talked about omission from The Lighthouse’s potential awards chances was that of Willem Dafoe and his supposed snubbing as a Best Supporting Actor contender. With his stereotypical bombast and charm mixed into the character of Thomas Wake, Dafoe’s chemistry as a co-lead with Robert Pattinson had folks sadly amped up for nothing.

5. Ad Astra

Here’s an interesting case of a snubbing: Brad Pitt found himself nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year with his performance as Cliff Booth in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. This happened in the same year that Pitt gave what some consider to be an even greater performance in James Gray’s underseen sci-fi epic, Ad Astra; a film that holds one nomination in 2020’s Academy Awards race for Best Sound Mixing.

The story of a man who finds himself connecting with humanity more than ever, during a quest across the whole of the known universe to find his father and avert planetary crisis, it felt like a pure Oscar bait film when it was released. But Ad Astra’s emotionally cerebral adventure couldn’t even land an acting nomination for its much talked about lead actor, nor could it nab a Best Original Screenplay or Best Visual Effects nod.

4. A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

In a year that seemed to value the message of kindness to quite an impressive extent, director Marielle Heller’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood only has one 2020 Oscar nomination to celebrate. With Tom Hanks’ variant of Mister Rogers scoring him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, his first nom in almost 20 years, there’s one case of all seeming right in the awards season world.

But the failure to nominate Heller’s exquisite work directing A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood feels particularly upsetting, as her unique style turned what could have been a standard biopic into an exciting, introspective affair. Not to mention, a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination feels only fair, as writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster turned journalist Tom Junod’s profile on an American legend into a creative retelling of true history.

3. Dolemite Is My Name

In 2007, Eddie Murphy landed his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the musical Dreamgirls. While he would lose out to Alan Arkin in that category, it felt like Murphy would eventually find the project to win himself some of that Oscar gold. Naturally, once his performance as Rudy Ray Moore in the Netflix biopic Dolemite Is My Name started to pick up steam, the hype train pulled out of the station on a cloud of good feelings and excitement.

For as much universal acclaim the film and its lead had garnered, Best Actor and Best Picture felt like they were in the bag. There was even a case for Best Adapted Screenplay nominations going to the film’s writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, as their work on Dolemite Is My Name helped make that magic happen in the first place. But no nominations were awarded, and much like Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Murphy has all the cause in the world to stay hungry and get out there to find that next golden opportunity.

2. Knives Out

If Knives Out was completely shut out of the Academy Awards, you could be there would have been a torrent of think pieces discussing how writer/director Rian Johnson’s murder mystery comedy was snubbed so hard, it would have left a dent in the foundation of the Dolby Theater. Thankfully, the first of potentially many adventures for Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc did manage to secure one important nomination for Johnson’s Best Original Screenplay.

However, it’s funny that out of an ensemble of pitch perfect performances, with meticulous production design, costuming, and direction all coming along for the ride, Knives Out couldn’t secure technical nominations for those very fields we’ve just mentioned. If you ask us, the lack of nominations for this film’s artistry is the true crime; though at least those involved are laughing to the bank.

1. Uncut Gems

Here it is: the ultimate rage quit of 2020's Academy Award nominations. In another A24 shutout, Josh and Benny Safdie's Uncut Gems landed zero nominations for the much loved indie darling. While Good Time felt like the ultimate warmup of the Safdie Brothers' powers, Uncut Gems captivated audiences far and wide with their weaponized anxiety that they weave so well. So, at least a Best Director nomination and/or a Best Original Screenplay nod with co-writer Ronald Bronstein should have been in order.

But the greater injustice is the fact that there was no Best Picture consideration given to Uncut Gems' funny and frantic neo-noir potboiler; and nor was there a spot saved for Adam Sandler's commanding performance as Howard Ratner, which moves the film along on a greased rail of tension and nerves. Sandler made a promise that he would give the world the worst film ever if the Oscars turned out to be a bust, and quite frankly, we deserve the full fury and wrath of The Sandman.

Now that you've taken a moment to process the increasing feelings of upset, anger, and maybe just disappointment surrounding our selection of snubbed cinema, it's time to get active. Let us know what you think is the greatest film to be snubbed in its lack of nominations for the 92nd annual Academy Awards, courtesy of the poll presented below.

Also, don't forget to hit our comments section to provide some commentary as to why you made your choice, as well as let us know if there's any further titles that should have been considered. Last, but not least, we would be foolish if we didn't remind you that the Oscars will air on Sunday, February 9th at 8 PM ET on ABC. So if we're going to be angry, let's be angry together, as friends!

The year 2019 is over and the "Roaring Twenties" are finally upon us (we need a new name for this decade, btw). The Golden Globe Awards have been dished out and the top 10 movies of the CinemaBlend team have been announced. The year was a rollercoaster release-wise, front loaded with superhero blockbusters accompanied by a fourth quarter filled with award contenders. Disney alone had six films that made over a billion dollars. Despite the money made by the mouse, the 2019 box office still fell short of the previous year, although not by much.

While the dollars and cents might not have added up, emotions and opinions were definitely not short-changed in 2019. Below is a breakdown of the top 10 films of 2019 from each member of the CinemaBlend staff who saw at least 50 new releases. Be sure to let us know your favorite film of the past year in the poll or comments section below!

Although 2019 closed the door on two of the biggest sagas to ever hit the big screen, 2020 is shaping up to be another blockbuster year, from the beginning of the MCU's Phase 4 to a resurgence of both classic and new horror movies. Make sure to let us know your favorite film of the year by using the poll or comments section below and keep up with everything new dropping this year with our 2020 release date schedule.

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Given that Todd Phillips' Joker is a very different kind of DC Comics adaptation, Hollywood was apparently willing to bet on it only having a modest second weekend. As a result, multiple studios released a broad mix of new wide releases hoping to grab the attention of different demographics. For the kids there was Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan's animated The Addams Family; Ang Lee's Gemini Man was aimed at fans of big action blockbusters; and Jon Lucas and Scott Moore's Jexi was aimed at those looking to have a few laughs. Unfortunately for them, however, Joker has turned into a steamroller, and it soundly crushed all of them over the last three days with a shockingly small weekend-to-weekend drop.

Check out the full Top 10 below, and join me after for analysis!

Those who read this article regularly/follow box office reports know that it's normal for a new release to see its numbers fall between 50 and 60 percent in the second weekend, but Joker performed well outside the norms over the Friday-to-Sunday stretch. Looking at the $55 million it just brought in, and comparing it to the $93.5 million it brought in last time around, you'll note that the new comic book movie only fell off 42.8 percent - which is damn impressive, particularly for a title that just set the record for biggest October opening weekend ever. To put it in some context, this time last year it was Ruben Fleischer's Venom that broke the same record, and it fell off 56.4 percent in its second go-round, only pulling in about $35 million.

This means that within the next week Joker will be the just the eighth title in 2019 to make more than $200 million domestically - following on the heels of Andy Muschietti's IT Chapter Two, which also just joined that exclusive club. Of course, it's totals get even more impressive when you factor in A) the fact that, unlike most comic book movies, it was made for only $55 million; and B) that it has also made an additional $351.2 million overseas. That means its currently global total currently stands at $543.9 million, which is enough for it to already crack the Top 10 chart for worldwide releases in 2019. It still has to make a lot more money if it wants to continue climbing up the ranks, as it currently stands behind Chinese releases The Wandering Earth ($699.8 million) and Ne Zha ($700.5 million), but there still exists a lot more opportunity for the film to make money.

While there is no doubt that much of the box office success has come as a result of the controversy surrounding the subject matter (and people buying a ticket just so they can be a part of the conversation), not to mention the DC Comics branding, one has to appreciate the movie's appeal from a macro perspective. This is a seriously dark, character-based drama that actually features multiple sequences of its protagonist slowly dancing around alone, and yet it is a blockbuster hit. It's not the kind of film that would typically rake audiences in, and yet tickets are selling impressively well. That's kind of weird, and kind of awesome.

Of course, the success of Joker comes as a detriment to the performances of the all the other new wide releases out this weekend - but some definitely wound up hurting more than others. For example, The Addams Family didn't really fail; it just performed adequately. Without adjusting for inflation, the animated adaptation of the classic property actually had a better opening than any previous title in the franchise, as Barry Sonnenfeld's original 1991 live-action feature only brought in $24.2 million, and its predecessor, Addams Family Values, made only $14.1 million when it came out in 1993. The new movie was only made for a reported $40 million, which means that it is well on its way to becoming profitable... so long as Joaquim Ronning's upcoming Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil doesn't totally steal its core audience in upcoming weeks.

The news is definitely less positive for Gemini Man - which is a project that has been in development for more than two decades waiting for visual effects technology to catch up with the concept behind its plot. Unlike Joker and The Addams Family, this is a film that cost a pretty penny to make (a reported $138 million), and surely Paramount must have been hoping for more than third place and a sub-$25 million opening. The good news is that the foreign markets will surely contribute a lot to the global total, which will probably wind up letting the project appear profitable on paper, but this definitely isn't a great start for the release, and it will probably wind up being labeled as one of the bigger disappointments when 2019 draws to a close.

And then there's Jexi. This is a movie that didn't exactly get much of a marketing push, and it wasn't screened for critics prior to release, and so the box office results are definitely on the predictable side. A grand total of $3.1 million from a 2,332-theater-wide release makes a good amount of sense for a movie that is currently rocking a 14 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and received a "B-" CinemaScore. It probably doesn't need to be said, but this will probably be the last time we write about this title in this column.

Lastly we'll go a bit outside the box office Top 10, as Bong Joon-ho's Parasite has earned some special attention this week. Most of you probably didn't have the opportunity to see the acclaimed release this past weekend, as it was only showing in a grand total of three theaters nationwide, but those movie houses were PACKED. With a total of $376,264 earned from ticket sales over the last three days, the per-theater average for the film was $125,421 - which is incredible. Having won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, and earned acclaim from everyone who has seen it, the feature has been building buzz for months, and hopefully this limited release success will lead the title to find its way into more theaters around the country.

While there will obviously be a lot of eyes still on Joker next weekend, we have another big slate of wide releases arriving on Friday ready to compete. As mentioned earlier there is the forthcoming arrival of Angelina Jolie's Malifecent sequel, but audiences will also get to experience a special 10 year reunion in the form of Ruben Fleischer's Zombieland: Double Tap, and the wonderful weirdness of Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit. Those movies, along with the limited release of Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse, should do a nice job shaking things up, and we'll be back next Sunday to report on the final results.

While superhero cinema has changed the movie world in many ways, one of the most surprising is the blossoming of R-rated blockbusters. Tim Miller's Deadpool did a lot to change how people view the potential of comic book adaptations aimed directly at audiences over 18, and the clear appeal of those kinds of titles has been further solidified by the box office results for David Leitch's Deadpool 2, and James Mangold's Logan. Now DC Comics has entered back into the world for the first time since Zack Snyder's Watchmen in 2009, and once again we have another hit. Todd Phillips' Joker, riding into theaters on a wave of buzz and controversy, has set October records.

Check out the full Top 10 below, and join me after for analysis!

The movie world has been talking about Joker for weeks now - with the tone of the conversation wildly varying from person to person. This is a film that won the esteemed Golden Lion following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in late August, but also has had people on high alert due to concerns about the message that the release could be sending. Ultimately all of the positivity and negativity has definitely worked to the feature's benefit, as the main things that have been generated by all of the discussion are A) awareness, and B) curiosity.

The result is that Joker managed to make $93.5 million domestically, and $234 million globally during its first three days in theaters, and those are record setting numbers. Admittedly it's not exactly like they are long-standing records, but they are records all the same. It was just last year that Ruben Fleischer's Venom set the new high water mark for the tenth month of the year, making $80.3 million in North America, and $125 million overseas, but now those numbers have been eclipsed. It's a particularly interesting trend to see these kinds of figures in October, as David Gordon Green's Halloween also put up some blockbuster tickets sales in 2018, so we may start seeing a trend of studios putting out more high-profile releases during this time of year.

On that note, it will be interesting to see how the film plays for the rest of the month, as there are some upcoming movies that may steal away some attention. Obviously neither Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan's The Addams Family, nor Joaquim Ronning's Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil are really targeting the same audience as Joker, but there are also titles like Ang Lee's Gemini Man, Ruben Fleischer's Zombieland: Double Tap, and Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit that could steer away some eyeballs.

At the end of the day, what might help the Todd Phillips movie hold strong is that despite all the controversy, most people are walking away from the cinematic experience satisfied. While there certainly are some dissenters, professional reviewers have given the film mostly high marks, and CinemaScore has reported a "B+" grade from opening weekend audiences. The public opinion could help the movie have what winds up being a minimal dip in ticket sales next weekend.

Most distributors knew to steer clear of Joker this weekend, recognizing that it was definitely going to be the big draw of the three day stretch, so it was the only new wide release that was available in theaters this weekend. That being said, it isn't the only release that has made its debut on the Top 10. Despite only being available in a little over 300 theaters nationwide, Siddharth Anand's War - an action movie import from India - also managed to make its way onto the chart, earning an impressive $5,184 per theater, and making more than enough to grab the nine spot on the rankings.

Also worthy of some notice is Rupert Goold's Judy, which is still doing quite well after its impressive first weekend. In last weekend's box office report I noted that the $6,706 made per location would likely inspire a theatrical expansion, and that's exactly what we saw starting this past Friday. While the film didn't move anywhere on the chart, the release moved into 1,000 more theaters, and actually saw its earnings take a 52.4 percent leap up. Following its $3 million start, the feature has now made $8.9 million in its first two weeks, which is pretty great for a smaller release.

Speaking of theater boosts, Focus Features had Michael Engler's Downton Abbey playing in an additional 158 cinemas this past weekend, and while the film's numbers wound up dipping, it still added an additional $8 million to its domestic total. The movie, based on the hit television show, has continued to perform tremendously well, and it looks very likely that it will be joining 2019's nine-figure club very soon. And not only has it made an impressive $73.6 million domestically, but it has also pulled in an additional $61.8 million from around the globe.

On the milestone front, Andy Muschietti's IT Chapter Two has now become only the seventh film released this year to make more than $200 million domestically, with its total now standing at $202.2 million following its $5.4 million take over the last few days. Added to the $234.5 million that its made abroad, and the horror blockbuster has made $436.7 million internationally. That number doesn't look huge when you compare it to the totals of the hit's predecessor, which ultimately banked $700.4 million in worldwide ticket sales, but it's still going to wind up being called the second biggest horror movie of all time.

We have another big weekend coming up with not only the wide theatrical releases of the aforementioned Gemini Man and The Addams Family, but also the award-winning new film from Bong Joon-ho, Parasite - which will be playing in a handful of theaters nationwide. It's a collection of films that should wind up shaking things up in interesting ways (will this be Will Smith's second big hit in 2019 after Aladdin? Will Addams Family connect with modern kids like the property has in the past?) so be sure to come back next Sunday to see the new Top 10 results!

It was almost exactly one year ago that Warner Bros. Animation released their feature Smallfoot, telling the story of a yeti that finds itself out of its element and needing human assistance to get back home. The movie made $23 million in its opening weekend, and was considered a mild success. Now in 2019 we are looking at an almost identical situation, with Dreamworks Animation's Abominable putting up a similar three-day domestic numbers. The big difference is that Smallfoot had to settle for second place, while Abominable is now king at the box office.

Check out the full Top 10 below, and join me after for analysis!

While Smallfoot had to compete with the star power of Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish in its opening weekend, Night School making $27.3 million in its opening weekend, Abominable didn't actually have any competition from other wide releases, which really kept the door open for it to be the biggest feature in North America over the last three days. Surely also helping it is the fact that it has been a minute since we've seen a feature targeted at kids, given that the huge distraction that is the new school year has been in effect over the last month or so.

Of course, if the new animated feature does wind up following the same path as its 2018 predecessor, it should wind up making a nice chunk of change by the time it's done with its theatrical run. Admittedly Smallfoot had way more star power in operation, featuring a voice cast including Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, Danny DeVito, Gina Rodriguez, Common, and even LeBron James, but it went on to make $214.1 million worldwide. It should be noted that does include a $130.9 million injection from foreign markets, and to date Abominable has only made an additional $10.2 million from the same sources - but that could change in a major way in the coming weeks (especially because of money from China, as the film is actually co-production with Dreamworks Animation's Chinese sister company Pearl Studio.

For now, Abominable seems to be on a good track, boosted by a mostly-positive reception from professional critics, and getting a very warm response from audiences in the form of an "A" grade on CinemaScore. It definitely won't be the number one movie in America for long, as there is some very hotly-anticipated movies coming out in early October, but it can enjoy this moment in the spotlight, and might stick around in the Top 10 for a minute.

The only other notable new release this past weekend was Rupert Goold's Judy - which played in less than 1000 theaters nationwide - but it actually did rather spectacularly for being a limited release. While $3.1 million over three days and seventh place might not seem like a big deal, the movie can proudly say that it had a higher per theater average than any other movie in the Top 20 this week, earning about $6,706 per location. That's not hugely surprising given that Renee Zellweger's performance in the lead role, portraying entertainment legend Judy Garland, has been earning wide acclaim and Oscar buzz. Right now it doesn't seem to be set up for an upcoming wide release, but don't be shocked if we wind up seeing a major expansion in the coming weeks.

As for the rest of the field,nothing performed extraordinarily well, though it is notable that all of the major releases from last weekend experienced minor drops - none over 55 percent compared to their last Friday-to-Sunday. In that respect, the best among them was James Gray's Ad Astra, which only went down 46.6 percent, and still managed an eight figure total. Michael Engler's Downton Abbey fell 53.3 percent. allowing it to hold on to second place, and Adrian Grunberg's Rambo: Last Blood had the most significant dip with 54.6 percent.

As for box office milestones, there really weren't any this weekend, though Andres Muschiett's IT Chapter Two is inching ever-closer to $200 million (thus far it has made $417.4 million globally). And while it's not quite there yet, Lorene Scafarias' Hustlers looks like it is definitely going to be a part of 2019's $100 million club by the time it concludes its big screen run. We're also now saying bon voyage to David Leitch's Hobbs & Shaw, which, after nine weeks, has exited the Top 10 with a domestic gross of $172,256,465.

I hinted at it earlier, but next week the majority of the conversation will almost certainly be around Todd Phillips' Joker, which has been winning awards and stirring up strange controversy for months now, and is finally going to be hitting theaters everywhere on Friday. Also in limited release will be Noah Hawley's Lucy In The Sky, Pedro Almodóvar's Pain And Glory, and Kevin McMullin's Low Tide, and we'll have to wait and see if any of them get a big enough audience to make the Top 10 chart. Tune in next Sunday to find out!

Oh, to be sad in space! We’ve all been there, or at least felt like we've been there, and know the heavy-breathing clouding astronaut's helmets and tears filling them up. Looking out into the great and beautiful unknown of the stars and far-off galaxy during a long reflection of existentialism. It’s not exactly what Star Wars cracked it up to be, is it? Over the years, lonely space movies have become an intriguing subgenre filled with memorable explorations of humanity, incredible cinematography, visual effects achievements and some of the best showcases from starring actors we've seen in any genre.

In honor of Ad Astra’s recent release, let’s venture through the cold vacuum of space and take a look at the best somber astronaut performances. Each one of these is a solid offering. This was a tough one to rank – you’ll be in good hands and feel all of the emotions with each one of these movies. However, as just about all space movies have taught us, you can never leave with the crew you came with. There can only be one number one. He's a look at the saddest of the sad astronaut performances on the big screen.

10. Keir Dullea, 2001: A Space Odyssey

Yes, the benchmark space flick of space flicks is at ten. Remember, this list is based on acting performances. If the judgement was on the film itself 2001: A Space Odyssey may have a place at the tip top. But, Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 incredible filmmaking and ideas is the star of this classic and unforgettable film. Now Keir Dullea, who plays Dr. Dave Bowman plays a role in executing his vision, but another actor could have done the job. Still, Dullea’s moments probing defiant HAL robot and transcending space and time are nothing short of epic.

9. Robert Pattinson, High Life

Earlier this year, future Batman star Robert Pattinson delivered one of the best performances of his career with a really weird sci-fi film to remember him by. At its heart, High Life shows Pattinson playing a young father raising his daughter in space. It also highlights his immense talent in ways that far outstretch his Twilight days. His performance stands out among the movie’s shocking twists and turns led by French filmmaker, Claire Denis’ twisted direction. If you like a compelling performance, try out this vastly underseen space ride.

8. Jodie Foster, Contact

Robert Zemekis’ 1997 space flick Contact is based on a book by a legendary astronomer of television, Carl Sagan. The movie follows Jodie Foster’s Dr. Ellie Arroway as she finds evidence of life outside of Earth and travels to the great beyond to find its source. It poses grand questions to the audience about science, religion and humankind, all while Foster comes out on top with a convincing performance – even with some not-so-great effects by today’s standards.

7. Matt Damon, The Martian

The winning element of Ridley Scott’s The Martian is Matt Damon’s on-screen charisma as his astronaut character is stranded on Mars. He makes a dire and complicated situation into a highly engaging and entertaining one. He’s a sad astronaut for sure, but he uses a flair of sarcasm and wit to elevate the often-somber genre into something with more levity. Damon’s performance has a deft touch as he sits with the audience, explaining the science. You'll be with him the entire way.

6. Brad Pitt, Ad Astra

Space’s newest recruit is Brad Pitt in James Gray’s Ad Astra (alternative title Sad Astra). The sci-fi drama explores a new corner of the genre as the slow-burn visual spectacle shares a message focused on someone’s personal mental health journey. Pitt’s character ventures “to the stars” when his famous astronaut father is said to be the cause of a universe-threatening surge. Brad Pitt gives an expertly-restrained performance where little needs to be said in order for the audience to understand his pain and realizations.

5. Tom Hanks, Apollo 13

“Houston, we have a problem.” Those words alone are enough to send us back to the memorable performance of America’s Sweetheart, Tom Hanks in Apollo 13. Ron Howard’s 1995 movie is a crowd-pleasing classic that really is that good every time. In it, Hanks plays Astronaut Jim Lovell, alongside Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon’s real-life portrayals of the space mission gone wrong when the spacecraft suffers internal damage and threatens their ticket home. The Hanks performance is both memorable and emotional enough to land it smack dab in the middle of this list.

4. Ryan Gosling, First Man

In stunning contrast to the standing ovations and supbeat soundtrack of Apollo 13 is Damien Chazelle’s First Man. The solemn drama tells the story of famous figure Neil Armstrong by delving into the man he was, and what the history books never filled in for us. Ryan Gosling disappears in the role as an awkward astronaut quietly grieving the loss of his young daughter. Gosling’s heartbreaking performances reveals Armstrong’s personal journey to the moon that redefined the previously romanticized space mission.

3. Matthew McConaughey, Interstellar

Christopher Nolan’s venture into the world of space sci-fi may have involved a confusing time-traveling bookcase plot, but Matthew McConaughey was the 2014 film’s secret weapon. McConaughey showed off a different side to his typically laid-back on-screen persona as Interstellar’s unwavering hero: a NASA pilot and engineer. The actor gives an emotional performance as his character Cooper greatly feels the stretch of space and must leave his children behind. It’s a stunning study on parenthood and is among Matthew McConaughey’s best work.

2. Sam Rockwell, Moon

Coming at runner-up for the best sad astronaut performance is Three Billboards Oscar winner Sam Rockwell for 2009’s Moon. The indie film was made on a really low budget of $5 million and made just under $10 million in movie theaters, but wow is it an impressive entry to this genre. Rockwell carries the film on his own in a weighty role revolving around a man who has spent three years completing a mission on the moon. For all its grand twists and scientific questions, Sam Rockwell is the heart of the movie and expertly pulls on the audiences’ heartstrings.

1. Sandra Bullock, Gravity

At number #1 is Sandy Bullock in Alfonso Cuarón’s seven-time Oscar winner, Gravity. It’s a no-brainer really. She’s incredible in this role. Take away the breathtaking visuals of this once-in-a-lifetime moviegoing experience and we’d still be talking about her acting achievement. She says a lot with so little to work with in a way that transcends all other performances like this. When Ryan Stone becomes stranded alone in space on her first mission, she takes us along in her moments of sadness, hope and exhaustion. It’s perfect.

Now it’s your turn. What’s your favorite performance starring a sad astronaut? Leave a comment below and vote with our poll!

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The following contains minor spoilers for Brad Pitt's new film, Ad Astra**. If you want to look for this cameo yourself, go check out the film, then come back.**

Brad Pitt's Ad Astra is a pretty serious film. It's about a man flying through outer space on a quest, but also about that man's personal demons and the closure he seeks. Pitt's character, Roy McBride, is permanently serious. He never cracks a joke, or even a smile, throughout Ad Astra. But director James Gray says he wanted to inject some small bit of humor into the movie, and that comes from a very brief, but entirely unexpected cameo.

Roy McBride's journey in Ad Astra takes him from the earth, to the moon, and then to the planet Mars. When McBride arrives he goes through processing, as one would when entering a new country on earth. However, this processing is surprisingly low tech. It's handled by a single secretary at an old wooden desk. However, what's even more humorous than the setting, is the secretary herself, as she's played by Russian Doll and Orange is the New Black actress Natasha Lyonne. According to director James Gray...

Natasha Lyonne doesn't have more than a couple of lines in Ad Astra, and the character never reappears after the first time we see her, but for fans who recognize her, it seems that's part of the point. That moment of recognition where you realize you recognize the secretary at the desk gives you something of a mental break from the otherwise "heavy and dark" movie.

The character, whose name is Tanya Pincus, checks in Brad Pitt's Roy McBride from the shuttle that arrived, and tells him where he needs to go. That's pretty much all that happens on screen, but James Gray tells EW that things went a bit deeper on set. The movie wanted to conjure the idea of a cliched secretary character from classic movies, and went the extra mile to make everything feel that way, even in way the audience never sees.

You can't make a movie as serious as Ad Astra without the production itself becoming a fairly serious affair, but James Gray says just having Natasha Lyonne on set made that single day of filming a bit more fun. Apparently Brad Pitt thought Lyonne was quite funny. Even the cinematographer was taken the actress, and apparently tried to make her part larger himself. Gray continues...

For a film with a comparatively small cast, so much of the film is Brad Pitt alone, every other role is important, and Natasha Lyonne's appearance in Ad Astra is a welcome one. The film had a decent opening weekend, opening in second place at the domestic box office.

Ad Astra means "to the stars" and it's far from the first movie to head there. It's interesting how many Oscar-worthy showcase roles have come from pretending to explore space. Not all movies in the genre focus on one character fighting the odds, but that does tend to be a favorite angle. It's hard picking just five space movies to stream in honor of Brad Pitt's new movie, so I cheated to add a few more suggestions. Please feel free to note your own favorites!

2001: A Space Odyssey

A masterpiece in general, and THE space masterpiece. It's still hard to believe Stanley Kubrick made this movie in 1968. It's worth re-watching 2001 to appreciate the ambition and artistry, and note how it's been referenced in so many later films. Countless filmmakers were inspired by 2001, including Star Wars' George Lucas and Close Encounters of the Third Kind's Steven Spielberg. In honor of 2001's 50th anniversary, Interstellar director Christopher Nolan presented a mastered 70mm print at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

Stream 2001: A Space Odyssey on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vudu, iTunes, or Google Play from $4 up. It should be on Netflix at all times, but it isn't.

Apollo 13

Houston, we have a problem -- this one isn't available on Netflix either. Not as of September 2019, anyway. I saw Apollo 13 five times in the movie theater in 1995, and listened to the soundtrack far more times. As Alien likes to say, "In space, no one can hear you scream," so it's funny how often space movies have striking soundtracks to pair with awe-inspiring visuals. (Gravity, I'm talking to you.) James Horner's chill-inducing score was a perfect complement for the tension and power of Ron Howard's movie. This is a space movie that's only partly set in space, and even though Tom Hanks is the face of the movie, it's a true ensemble. Kind of like The Right Stuff more than First Man.

Stream Apollo 13 right now on Starz with a subscription, or by paying $4 to rent on Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, etc.

Interstellar

Like Ad Astra, Interstellar is one of those space movies tied to a threat to human life. Both movies also have a parent/child connection. Then again, I may have just described Armageddon too. It's not the most unique set of circumstances. Some movies, like Apollo 13, are based on real events and others -- like Sunshine, etc. -- use a futuristic threat to the planet as the impetus. Interstellar rises above so many stories thanks to being directed by Christopher Nolan and co-written by the director and his brother, Jonathan Nolan. Their tag-team efforts have given us Memento, The Prestige, and two Dark Knight movies. Sometimes space movies can be cold and distant, but I found Interstellar very moving. (Not that I cried as much as Matthew McConaughey on screen or Timothée Chalamet off-screen.)

Stream Interstellar for $3 to rent on Amazon, YouTube, or Google Play. iTunes and Vudu also currently have it for $4. I wish Netflix had any of these movies. You should probably yell at them for that.

Moon

Director Duncan Jones made his feature film debut with Moon, which is a fantastic showcase for Sam Rockwell. Roger Ebert's 2009 review of the movie makes several references to 2001 and even a nice one to Bruce Dern's Silent Running, but I like this note in particular:

Stream Moon on Sony Crackle, or for $3 currently on Amazon or Vudu. Maybe by the time you look for it, it'll be on Netflix, but as of September 2019 it's not there.

Silent Running

Going for a deep cut on this one, instead of something more current. This 1972 sci-fi classic is a showcase for Bruce Dern, and also follows a future where Earth is basically falling apart. (The sci-fi genre is pretty sure we're doomed.) A movie focused on the environment, in a future where plants are becoming extinct, has a timely ring to it. Plus, the lead character is a botanist, which seems like a cool tie to Matt Damon's botanist in The Martian. It didn't help Silent Running to come out just four years after 2001, since few films benefit from a comparison to Kubrick's space classic. But at the very least you should watch this retro classic for Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

Stream Silent Running for $4 to rent on Amazon, Youtube, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, etc.

BONUS: Gravity, The Martian, And More

There are way too many space movies to list just five. Sandra Bullock's 2013 award-winner Gravity was another great space showcase role, with a fantastic soundtrack. I cannot get enough of Matt Damon's The Martian, even if I'm not sure I would see it as a "comedy," as it was entered through the 2015-2016 awards circuit.

I also hope by now you've seen Sunshine, another We Have To Save Earth movie, but one of the better ones thanks to director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland. I'm still fond of Jodie Foster's Contact, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming National Geographic TV series adapting The Right Stuff. Speaking of TV series, I hope you're caught up on The Expanse, aka Game of Thrones in Space, as it's often billed. I love those books and the Amazon series is launching Season 4 this December.

Some great space movies mix with other genres, like the sci-fi/horror of the Alien franchise. Other great space movies aren't actually set in space -- like Arrival, which was profound enough to take my breath away, and Hidden Figures. You can also have fun in space, with comedies like Spaceballs, not to mention some major franchises you might've heard of called Star Wars and Star Trek. I'm not as up on animation as I should be, but maybe some fans can also recommend some great space anime.

If you're looking for more streaming recommendations, check out these past features:

• 5 Excellent Keanu Reeves Roles Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon

• 5 Sci-Fi TV Shows To Watch On Netflix: Our Streaming Recommendations

• 5 Documentary Series To Watch On Netflix: Our Streaming Recommendations

• 5 British TV Comedies On Netflix You Should Bloody Well Watch: Our Streaming Recommendations

• 3%, Occupied, Harlots, and Other Streaming Recommendations

• 5 Robert Downey Jr. Movies To Love 3000 On Netflix

• 5 Chris Evans Movies Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon

• 5 Ryan Reynolds Roles Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon

• 5 Will Smith Movies Worth Streaming Right Now On Netflix And Beyond

• 5 Refreshingly Non-Toxic Reality TV Shows Worth Streaming On Netflix

• 5 Joaquin Phoenix Movies Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon Ahead Of Joker

• 5 Stripper Movies Worth Streaming In Honor Of Jennifer Lopez's Hustlers

There's plenty of space to stream, so what out-of-this-world titles have you been streaming lately?

Well! Maggie Smith's Downton Abbey Dowager Countess once famously asked "What is a weekend?" The answer is now "The perfect time to kick Rambo and Brad Pitt's asses." I am amazed that Downton Abbey even got a theatrical release, and now I am astonished that it easily topped both Ad Astra and Rambo: Last Blood. The bountiful Brits even gave Focus Features its best opening of all-time.

How many TV producers will look at these weekend box office results and wonder if this gives their shows hope for a theatrical movie? Could Downton and the upcoming Breaking Bad movie mark the start of a trend ... that Hollywood quickly runs into the ground? I don't want to get negative out of the gate, but brace yourselves. Check out the numbers for Downton Abbey, as well as the rest of the domestic box office Top 10, below, and join me after for analysis!

This was an interesting box office showdown. Not too long ago, I might've guessed Rambo: Last Blood would take the top spot. It's neck-and-neck with Ad Astra, and if they didn't cancel out each other's target demos, one of them might've been able to top Downton Abbey. They both played on more screens than the PBS series adaptation.

When it became clear that Downton Abbey was going to rule the weekend, Sylvester Stallone shared a new Rambo: Last Blood ad poking fun at the Brits' movie and taking shots at Rambo V's critics. Did Rambo's bad reviews hurt the opening box office? Eh. Probably not, since fan word-of-mouth has been strong, and controversy sells.

Ad Astra could've gone either way at the box office. Speaking of polarizing, it's basically enjoying the opposite story of Rambo: Last Blood -- Rambo has bad reviews from critics but raves from many fans; Ad Astra has raves from critics and worse reviews from fans. They both made roughly the same money, though, so they cancelled each other out on that front too.

Ad Astra got a B- CinemaScore from moviegoers polled on opening night vs. the B for Rambo: Last Blood. Meanwhile, Downton Abbey fans gave the movie an A. Critics loved the film, and fans rated it even higher on Rotten Tomatoes. It's a win. And, as Deadline noted, its $31 million opening easily defeated the $22.7 million of 2015’s Insidious Chapter 3 to set a new record as Focus Features' best opening of all-time.

If Downton Abbey had meh or bad reviews and low audience scores, we'd probably be seeing a very different outcome. It's like what we were saying last week about The Goldfinch, which had one of the worst wide openings ever. It was a bad sign for dramas in the marketplace, but a good drama can still find an audience on the big screen without having to stick to a streaming service or TV.

One interesting thing about this Downton Abbey movie win is that it didn't just come from TV fans, but older female TV fans. Per Deadline, 74% of the opening audience was female, with 32% of all the Downton moviegoers over age 55. That's pat of what I mean about Rambo V and Ad Astra maybe cancelling each other out, since Brad Pitt has talked about Ad Astra's focus on masculinity and Rambo V is dripping with testosterone. Maybe one of them should've held its opening till next weekend.

This is potentially a good sign for the Breaking Bad movie, though. We already knew it would be coming to Netflix even before arriving on AMC, but it's also getting a theatrical release. The cinema is reclaiming its turf!

IT: Chapter Two ruled the box office charts last week and for its debut the week before. This week, the IT sequel had to settle for #4 on the September 20-22, 2019 chart, per Box Office Mojo. Jennifer Lopez's Hustlers is still doing well, and I swear The Lion King just won't quit. It's at $1.6 million right now worldwide. Hobbs & Shaw looks like it's about ready to drop off the top 10 list. The Fast and Furious spinoff is still crushing overseas, though.

The Goldfinch somehow did even worse this weekend. It's not on the domestic chart above because it took #15 in its second weekend, dropping 71.3% last week to make only $770,000 this weekend. Since the movie is still (for some reason) playing on 2,542 screens, it had a per-screen average of just $303. Compare that to the $10,068 per-screen average for Downton Abbey.

What's coming out next? Abominable, Judy, and 21 Bridges. And then Joker in early October. What, if anything, did you head out to see this weekend?

With the genre completely dominated by big brands and franchises, large scale science-fiction that puts a greater focus on drama over action is rare in modern Hollywood – but that rarity makes each one feel notable. With a legacy that includes films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner, there is a particular draw to recent titles like The Martian, Gravity, Interstellar, and Arrival. They’re special because they are so clearly big swings for the fences, and trust that they can captivate an audience with universal questions and wonder.

Now James Gray’s Ad Astra has arrived to build on that remarkable and exclusive library/legacy, and it impressively stands tall in the limited crowd. Though very much its own original story, the film takes Joseph Conrad’s “Heart Of Darkness” into the cosmos and searches for the meaning of existence in the idea of what might exist beyond it – all while hanging on a spectacular performance-driven character study that moves from one harrowing set piece to the next on a solar system-spanning adventure.

The protagonist at the center of it all is decorated astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) who is living an ataraxic, disconnected existence in a not too distant future where mankind has begun to colonize outer space. He is well-regarded in his field, but ultimately most known for being the son of H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) – who famously led a mission to Neptune 30 years prior in the hopes of discovering intelligent life.

While Roy doesn’t remember much about his father, that significantly changes when a massive shockwave rips across the universe and causes serious power failures on Earth and beyond. Roy is told not only that his father is still alive, but that his mission from three decades ago, the Lima Project, is responsible for the dangerous pulse. With the threat still lingering, the stoic hero is asked to travel to Mars and try to send a message to his dad and stop catastrophic destruction.

It begins with a commercial flight to the hub on The Moon, decorated with all the trappings of a modern airport from Yoshinoya to Hudson News, but the further Roy travels the greater the danger increases. He slowly begins to question the legacy of H. Clifford McBride, while also discovering that there are certain aspects of the larger plan surrounding his mission that are being kept from him.

As Ad Astra’s sprawling narrative plays out, Roy has to make multiple stops along his journey – some planned, some not – and each one is designed as a fantastic set piece that introduces a new important element to the larger story. It allows the fantastic opportunity for James Gray to explore diverse sides of the larger sci-fi universe, and the results are consistently brilliant. While never losing the larger focus, this is a film that delivers a Mad Max-esque buggy assault by space pirates; what turns out to be a horrific rescue mission in a floating craft sending out a distress signal; and an untethered journey through an asteroid field. And all of it is brilliantly rendered with jaw-dropping visual effects, and bolstered by a fantastic rotating ensemble cast that includes fantastic actors like Ruth Negga and Donald Sutherland.

The movie clearly isn’t afraid to go big (particularly because it has the goods to support it), but its soul is Brad Pitt’s to carry, and he delivers what is one of the most breathtaking performances in his storied career. There is what seems like kind of a cheat that Ad Astra employs by repeatedly having Roy undergo psychological analysis to determine whether he is mentally fit enough to resume his assignment, but instead of approaching it as a booster seat Pitt transforms these scenes into fascinating and extraordinary, as what is interpreted by the automated system is clearly not the same as what is interpreted by the audience, and it’s stunning to see his gears turn faster and faster as the story continues and the situation starts to break him.

Given the established tone and atmosphere of the story, not to mention the exuded philosophy, there are particular issues to be had with the ending, as there exists a certain clash that doesn’t sit perfectly – but to explain it would obviously be giving too much away. At the same time, it’s very much a film that opens itself up to and invites subjective interpretation, and a rough landing doesn’t undercut the brilliance of the flight.

Ad Astra is the first venture into science-fiction for James Gray, but the writer/director demonstrates that he knows exactly what it is that makes the genre truly great, and makes phenomenal work of blending the infinity of the cosmos with eternal questions that possess no true answers. It’s a stunning work, and one of the best films of the year.

This week there's a space odyssey, an iconic soldier, and a beloved television series continuation all hitting the big screen. Get ready for Ad Astra, Rambo: Last Blood, and Downton Abbey.

Just remember, I'm not reviewing these movies, but rather predicting where they'll end up on the Tomatometer. Let's take a look at This Rotten Week has to offer.

There’s always a place on the big screen for an epic space odyssey and that very much looks like what we’re getting from Ad Astra. It’s a story about an astronaut (Brad Pitt) going on a mission in space to find his father (Tommy Lee Jones) and stop him from utilizing a technology that is threatening life in the universe. It simultaneously looks like a psychological thriller and wide-ranging sci-fi movie all wrapped into one. And critics are loving it.

From director James Gray (The Lost City of Z - 86%, We Own The Night - 57%), Ad Astra is currently sitting at 84% with 44 reviews posted. Most are praising all aspects of the movie from the visuals, to the tone, to Brad Pitt’s acting. It’s logically (at least from the scope) drawing comparisons to Interstellar (72%), and I think ultimately it falls right in that range.

Sylvester Stallone and my father are both 73 years old. My dad is retired and mostly just reads books on his Kindle these days. Stallone? He’s about to reprise one of his most iconic roles as a savage soldier who fights for those marginalized or just flat out in trouble. Oh, and he does it with the use of basically every weapon in the killer elite pack: machine guns, bow and arrows, knives, explosives. They’re all there at his disposal in Rambo: Last Blood.

This time he’s up against the Mexican cartel, who almost certainly didn’t know what they were getting into when they took Rambo’s niece hostage. It sure looks like they’ll come to regret that decision. This is the fifth, and likely final, installment in the Rambo franchise, and it looks like they are going out with a bang. I can’t imagine critics love it, but I don’t suspect that’s really the point.

While we’ve seen many examples of television shows turned into movies, or movies turned into television shows, it isn’t often we get those versions with the original casts. Entourage did it with not so great results disaster, and Breaking Bad has an offshoot coming soon with Jesse Pinkman. But recently there aren’t too many other examples. Now we have a new addition to that list

Downton Abbey finished its six season on PBS in 2015, but the story continues on in movie form this weekend. Set in 1927, it takes place two years after the series finale and focuses on a visit from the King and Queen of England to the Downton Abbey estate. Director Michael Engler helmed four Downton Abbey episodes including the finale. Early opinions are very strong with the Tomatometer sitting at 80% through 55 reviews. Critics appreciate the carryover and most seem to think it's a worthy follow up to the award-winning show.

It’s mea culpa time in the recap. Last week I had some pretty bad reads on both Hustlers (Predicted: 85% Actual: 87%) and The Goldfinch (Predicted: 45% Actual: 25%) before editor Eric Eisenberg stepped in and saved the day letting me know that after the reviews embargoes had lifted my original thoughts on each were wrong. He graciously allowed me to not completely screw the pooch and helped tick both scores closer to reality. I’ll take a firm “L” on each movie even though the published predictions ended up much closer to the final scores.

Critics really took to Hustlers, embracing crime story and scheme following a group of strippers taking advantage of their Wall Street clientele. While professionals seemed to love nearly every aspect of the film, Jennifer Lopez’s performance stands out as the most talked-about.

Meanwhile, The Goldfinch wasn’t able to capitalize on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel’s material. Critics saw it as an epic missed opportunity, citing a confusing and overdone narrative that wasn’t in any way able to capture the artistic ideals of Donna Tartt’s book. This lands as a massive disappointment.

Next time we’ve got Abominable. It’s gonna be a Rotten Week!

The summer movie season is over, which means including the recently-started September, there are just four months worth of movies left in 2019. Fortunately, there’s no lack of cinematic entertainment to look forward to in those final months, from adaptations of existing stories to long-awaited sequels to even a few original films sprinkled in for good measure.

So as the countdown to 2019’s finish begins, and before you start looking ahead at what’s in store for 2020, we’ve gathered together all the biggest movies coming out for the rest of the year so you can plan your trips to the theater accordingly. Let’s kick off one that you can check out now!

IT Chapter Two

Release Date: September 6

Set 27 years after the events of the first IT movie, IT Chapter Two sees the members of the Losers’ Club reuniting in Derry, Maine to defeat Pennywise the Dancing Clown once and for all. Along with Bill Skarsgård reprising Pennywise and the actors who played the Losers’ Club members as kids, the main cast includes James McAvoy as Bill Denbrough, Bill Hader as Richie Tozier, Jessica Chastain as Beverly Marsh, Jay Ryan as Ben Hanscom, Isaiah Mustafa as Mike Hanlon, James Ransone as Eddie Kaspbrak and Andy Bean as Stan Uris.

The Goldfinch

Release Date: September 13

Based off the same-named 2013 novel, The Goldfinch follows Ansel Elgort’s Theo Decker, whose mother was killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and who clings on to a painting of the eponymous that gives him one shred of hope from that terrible event. Nicole Kidman, Aneurin Barnard, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, Jeffrey Wright and Ashleigh Cummings also star.

Downton Abbey

Release Date: September 20

It’s been four years since the Downton Abbey TV series concluded, but the denizens of the estate are back for a big screen tale that sees King George V and Queen Mary visiting them in 1927. Most of the main characters from the show are back for the movie, and among the new faces that fans should keep an eye out for include Simon Jones, Geraldine James, Tuppence Middleton and Stephen Campbell Moore, to name a few.

Ad Astra

Release Date: September 20

This James Gray-written and directed flick stars Brad Pitt as Roy McBride, an astronaut who embarks on a deep-space mission to find his missing father, Clifford, played by Tommy Lee Jones, and uncover a mystery that threatens humanity’s survival on Earth. Ad Astra also stars Ruth Nega, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland and Jamie Kennedy.

Rambo: Last Blood

Release Date: September 20

Contrary to what’s indicated in the title, it’s unclear if Rambo: Last Blood will indeed be the last outing for Sylvester Stallone’s iconic character. Regardless, this tale follows John Rambo traveling to Mexico to rescue his niece from a Mexican cartel, and Stallone is accompanied by Paz Vega, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Adriana Barraza and Yvette Montreal.

Joker

Release Date: October 4

Rather than follow DC Extended Universe continuity, Joker is a standalone movie that doesn’t adhere closely to source material at all, opting with a fresh take to show how the Clown Prince of Crime came to be. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Arthur Fleck, a failed standup comedian who turns to crime after being disregarded by society, and he’s joined by Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy, among others.

Gemini Man

Release Date: October 11

Director Ang Lee and Will Smith teamed up to bring us Gemini Man, which sees Smith playing a government assassin named Henry Brogan who finds himself being targeted by a younger clone of himself, dubbed Junior. In addition to Smith pulling double duty on the acting front, Gemini Man stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen and Benedict Wong.

The Addams Family

Release Date: October 11

It’s been over 25 years since The Addams Family last graced the big screen, and instead of having them lead another live action joint, the creepy and kooky clan have embraced their roots and returned to animation for a story that sees them moving to New Jersey and dealing with a sinister reality TV host while simultaneously preparing for a family reunion. The lineup here includes Oscar Isaac as Gomez, Charlize Theron as Morticia, Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester, Chloë Grace Moretz as Wednesday, Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley, Bette Midler as Grandmama and Allison Janney as Margaux Needler.

Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil

Release Date: October 18

Rather than deliver a straightforward live-action remake of Sleeping Beauty, Disney opted to instead focus on the original tale’s central antagonist, and five years after Maleficent came out, we’re reuniting with Angelina Jolie’s character in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. The sequel sees her clashing with Michelle Pfeiffer’s Queen Ingrith of Ulstead, who is using the marriage of Elle Fanning’s Princess Aurora and Harris Dickinson’s Prince Phillip as part of her plan to divide humans and fairies forever.

Zombieland: Double Tap

Release Date: October 18

In 2009, a year before The Walking Dead hit the airwaves, director Ruben Fleischer collaborated with Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin to deliver a comedic zombie story, something rarely seen in this genre. The result was the much-beloved Zombieland, and a decade later, these individuals have all reunited for Zombieland: Double Tap, which will follow this makeshift family dealing with evolved zombies and meeting more survivors as they continue traveling through the United States.

Doctor Sleep

Release Date: October 30

Like its literary predecessor, Doctor Sleep serves as a sequel to The Shining, although in the movie’s case, it’ll incorporate elements of both the Shining book and the Shining movie, which are quite different from one another. Ewan McGregor’s adult Danny Torrance has finally managed to find peace in his life and is using his abilities to help others, but that’s disrupted when a young woman named Abra, played by Kyliegh Curran, seeks his help against the True Knot organization, led by led by Rebecca Ferguson’s Rose the Hat, who want to use Abra’s powers for sinister purposes.

Terminator: Dark Fate

Release Date: November 1

Rather than follow-up on what went down in Terminator Genisys, Terminator: Dark Fate opted to ignore the last three Terminator movies and serve only as a sequel to the original two. James Cameron returned to the franchise and worked with director Tim Miller and others to craft a story involving Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor working with another Arnold Schwarzenegger-played T-800 and Mackenzie Davis’ Grace to protect Daniella Reyes’ Dani Ramos from the advanced Rev-9 Terminator, played by Gabriel Luna.

The Irishman

Release Date: November 1

Featuring an all-star cast that includes Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman tells the story of Frank Sheeran, who, in his last days, reflects on the key events that defined his career as a mob hitman, which include playing a role in Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance. Although The Irishman will have a limited theatrical run starting at the beginning of the month, it will primarily be available on Netflix, dropping on the streaming platform November 27.

Charlie’s Angels

Release Date: November 15

Arriving 16 years after the last movie and eight years after the failed TV revival, Charlie’s Angels is back on our screens, this time in a cinematic reboot directed by Elizabeth Banks, who also plays one of the movie’s many Bosleys. Our trio of new heroines working for the Townsend Ageny are played by Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, and their main mission is to stop a dangerous piece of technology from being unleashed onto the world.

Ford V. Ferrari

Release Date: November 15

Directed by Logan’s James Mangold and starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Ford V. Ferrari chronicles the story of automotive designer Carroll Shelby and his team at Ford constructing the Ford GT40, a car driven by racer Ken Miles intended to beat the Ferrari racing team at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford V. Ferrari’s cast also includes Caitriona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Tracy Letts and Josh Lucas, among many others.

Frozen II

Release Date: November 22

It’s not often you see a movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios get a theatrical sequel, but considering how critically and commercially successful 2013’s Frozen was, it’s hardly surprising that the Mouse House gave the green light to Frozen II and brought back Idina Menzel, Kristen Stewart, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad and Satino Fontana to reprise their respective roles. Frozen II sees Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven embarking on a journey three years after the first movie to learn the origins of Elsa’s ice powers.

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

Release Date: November 22

Many of you reading grew up watching, or at least hearing about, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and rather than serve as a traditional biopic for its host, Fred Rogers, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood spotlights the childhood icon in a different way. Based off the Esquire article “Can You Say… Hero?”, the movie sees Matthew Rhys’ Lloyd Vogel interviewing Tom Hanks’ Rogers for a profile and his perspective on life being transformed after meeting the man.

Knives Out

Release Date: November 27

Rather than jump straight back into the Star Wars universe after delivering The Last Jedi to the masses, Rian Johnson opted to tackle Knives Out, a modern whodunnit murder mystery where every family member who attended the 85th birthday party of a wealthy crime novelist is considered a suspect after he’s found dead. The members of this all-star cast include Daniel Craig, Chris Evans Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Christopher Plummer, Ana de Armas, Don Johnson, Lakeith Stansfield and Katherine Langford.

Jumanji: The Next Level

Release Date: December 13

Just like its immediate predecessor, Jumanji: The Next Level involves the main characters being sucked into the world of the Jumanji video game, only this time there’s been some changes regarding who’s playing which character and brand-new quest to beat if they want to get out safely. Along with the majority of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’s main cast reprising their roles, The Next Level also features Danny DeVito, Danny Glover and Awkwafina.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker

Release Date: December 20

It’s the end of an era for the Star Wars franchise, as The Rise of Skywalker will conclude the Skywalker Saga, i.e. the main series of films that began with A New Hope over four decades ago. Besides bringing back most of the familiar Sequel Trilogy faces and introducing a few characters, The Rise of Skywalker will also feature Billy Dee Williams and Ian McDiarmid reprising Lando Calrissian and Emperor Palpatine, respectively, as well as utilize unused footage of Carrie Fisher from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi so Leia Organa can be present.

Cats

Release Date: December 20

If for some reason you hadn’t heard about Cats as a long-running musical, you definitely learned about the movie when that trailer for the movie came out over the summer, which earned… a polarizing reception, to put it lightly. The Cats movie looks to be following the same story beats as its staged predecessor, and its lineup includes Judi Dench, James Corden, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Jason Derulo, Rebel Wilson and Francesca Hayward.

Little Women

Release Date: December 25

Over a century and a half after its publication, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women remains one of the best known works of American literature, and now director Greta Gerwig is putting her stamp on the beloved story for the new film adaptation. The lineup of actors bringing the members of the March family and those around them to life include Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothée Chalamet, Bob Odenkirk, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep.

While these may be the biggest movies left in 2019, they certainly aren’t the only ones left to look forward to for the rest of the year. Find out what else is on the way in our handy release schedule.

Brad Pitt is starring in two huge movies in 2019, the already-released Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and the upcoming space movie Ad Astra. But he’s always been a little choosy with his projects, and now Pitt is saying his acting roles will likely be even fewer and far between in the future.

In fact, speaking ahead of Ad Astra, Brad Pitt spoke about how he has gotten invested in other activities outside of acting, including producing, but also things outside of the movies. According to Pitt,

Speaking in a long profile with the New York Times, Brad Pitt talked about his upcoming project Ad Astra and how he was able to reach some emotional heights given his personal life at the time he was filming the movie. He also told the outlet that acting is “a younger man’s game” before mentioning he likes to do things like landscaping and sculpting, not to mention producing.

He wouldn’t be the first actor to move on for acting, or at least to take a break from acting. A lot of actors eventually shift away from acting. Some stay at home to run a household or simply move out of the limelight. Some move into other parts of the industry, like Brad Pitt has done with his Plan B company, which has produced a slew of movies including 12 Years A Slave, which won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Some, like Clint Eastwood and Jordan Peele, still act but find a space in the industry behind the camera as well. So, it doesn’t seem as if Brad Pitt is bandying around the word “retirement” as much as he is hoping to cut back on acting. (Unlike his Once Upon A Time In Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino, who seems to really enjoy talking about retiring.)

Allegedly, coming up Brad Pitt will have gigs in Babylon and the long-awaited World War Z 2, although we say allegedly because the former is rumored and the latter was announced years ago and never got enough traction, and is currently at the point where it may not happen at all.

If those fall through, Brad Pitt will only have producing gigs coming up, including Kajillionaire, Irresistible, Blonde, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (which he’s an executive producer on) and more.

It’s worth noting Brad Pitt is among the few a-listers who have been nominated for personal Oscars but who have not won an Oscar for acting. He recently spoke about that, noting he’s not too bent out of shape about it, but if he sticks more with producing roles in the future, an acting Oscar may in fact elude him.

Still, he’ll certainly keep busy, although he says of being a producer:

You can see him in stage makeup when Ad Astra officially hits theaters on Friday, September 20th. Take a look at what else is coming before the end of the year with our movies schedule.

There's been a lot of talk about the importance of Ad Astra. As a 20th Century Fox film, director James Gray’s science fiction epic is, rightly or wrongly, seen as having the potential for an outsized impact on the future of that now Disney-owned studio. Others have also mused on it being the last hope for original, big budget science fiction that is made for adults, in an era when films of that ilk are few and far between, while four-quadrant franchise films dominate.

It’s an unfair burden for any film to bear, so while what Ad Astra does or doesn’t mean for 20th Century Fox and the industry at large remains to be seen, all we need to worry about for now is whether or not it’s any good. To that end, Ad Astra recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival and the first reviews are now in.

So is Ad Astra a reminder of the kinds of great films 20th Century Fox can make? Where does it stack up in the pantheon of great space movies? And how good is Brad Pitt in it? Well, if the early reviews are anything to go by, Ad Astra won’t fail for any lack of quality. In his five-star review for Total Film, James Mottram was effusive with praise, saying:

That is high praise indeed, especially given James Gray’s filmography, which includes movies like The Lost City of Z, We Own the Night and The Immigrant. Masterpiece isn’t a word to be thrown around lightly, but James found Ad Astra to be splendid, due in no small part to the work of Brad Pitt.

Brad Pitt’s performance is one of the most common threads among the reviews for Ad Astra. Critics really appreciated his understated performance, adding another great chapter in his 2019 following his turn in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In her review for The Wrap, Candice Frederick wrote about the leading man’s performance, saying:

Could Brad Pitt find his two 2019 roles facing off with one another in an acting category come awards season? We’ll see. The Guardian’s Xan Brooks was also really taken with Ad Astra and gave it a full five stars. In his review, he said:

While some of the reviews lavished on the praise and found the film lived up to those intriguing and intoxicating trailers, others found the finished product somewhat lacking. CineVue’s John Bleasdale found it all style and very little substance. He said:

The lunar chase glimpsed in the trailers has been likened to Mad Max on the moon, and many reviewers were taken with that set piece, which by itself sounds like it’s worth the price of admission. Even among the more negative reviews like this one, the craft on display in Ad Astra is never in question.

One of the main criticisms levied against Ad Astra by those who didn’t love it is that it is apparently a bit too clichéd, and rather than being a new pillar of the space film genre alongside the likes of Gravity, Interstellar and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ad Astra cribs from those films and doesn’t do enough to set itself apart. That was the sentiment expressed by Variety’s Owen Gleiberman, who said:

Despite those critics having problems with the film or had a more muted reaction to it, the general consensus so far is that Ad Astra is visually thrilling, and like all good science fiction, it deals with weighty questions about humanity. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich compared it to Solaris in his review, saying:

Ad Astra currently sits at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, but with only 28 reviews so far, that score will certainly change once more critics see the film. Based on what critics who saw the film have said, it sounds like Ad Astra is worth seeing for both its dazzling action as well as the contemplative questions it asks. That’s in addition to another great performance from Brad Pitt.

If the future of 20th Century Fox at Disney, as well as the hopes of adult science fiction films do somewhat depend on Ad Astra, they could certainly do worse.

Ad Astra opens in theaters on September 20. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this year’s biggest movies.

It is clearly in the annals of movie history that Brad Pitt has created some notable characters for the big screen in movies like Inglorious Basterds, Moneyball, Fight Club and other movies that perhaps should have acted like catnip for Oscar voters. Yet, winning the biggest of all big movie awards, the one and only Academy Award, has eluded the actor in the acting category so far. If you were to ask him how he feels about it, he would have an answer.

In fact, thanks to his role in Quentin Tarantino’s popular Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and the upcoming Ad Astra, Brad Pitt’s name has come up in relation to the Oscar race once more. Which means people are clearly only too happy to ask him about how much he wants an Oscar related to his work on the new ‘6os set drama. He said,

Brad Pitt actually gave an answer to the question during a press conference for Venice Film Festival’s Ad Astra (via Daily Beast), but if you were hoping for some emotional or thoughtful response, this one stuck to a very diplomatic tone. I’d guess being Brad Pitt is a weird position to be in, not only because he’s one of the most famous men on the planet, but it has to be odd to be in a position where you are wanting the best for yourself but not wanting to see your friends fail either.

I’m sure that also depends on your personality as well, as some people are way more competitive than others. It should be noted that Brad Pitt has been in the game at the Oscars before, having been nominated in the supporting category for 12 Monkeys and in the Best Actor category for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Moneyball. However, the only movie he was technically a part of that landed an Oscar was 12 Years A Slave, which he was a producer on (and had a small part in) and which won Best Picture in 2014.

Related: The 10 Best Actors To Never Win An Oscar

Although I kind of see him as another lead in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, the general thought is that Brad Pitt may be up for Best Supporting Actor this year, which could leave a space open for Leonardo DiCaprio to be nominated for Best Lead Actor in a case where neither man would need to compete with one another. We'll have to see how that shakes out if either or both men do end up being nominated.

Then there’s Ad Astra, which unquestionably features Brad Pitt as the lead, and which has also been garnering praise for the actor since its Venice Film Festival year. It’s a little early to be talking about a potential Oscar nod for Ad Astra, but it probably is worth pointing out it would not be totally unprecedented for one actor to earn a nod in two categories in the same year.

Jamie Foxx was nominated for both Ray in Best Actor and Collateral in Best Supporting actor in the same year. He won for Ray. Likewise, Holly Hunter was nominated for and won for The Piano in the Best Actress category and was also nominated in Best Supporting for The Firm in 1993.

As for Brad Pitt, the 92nd Academy Awards don’t air until February of 2020 and nominees won’t even be announced until January of next year. So, there’s a long time to wait in which other competition could enter the fold. We’ll have to wait and see if Brad Pitt earns a coveted nod and maybe even a win at this year’s awards, but at the end of the day the man should be fine. He earns a lot of money and good notices for many of his acting projects and he’s won a ton of other awards. Life could certainly be much worse.

Ever since the ambitious merger of Disney and Fox closed earlier this year, the fate of the latter studio has been somewhat of a question mark. While its new corporate parent has done everything to assure folks that it won’t fold entirely, recent developments have thrown the fate of those decisions into question.

Most importantly, there's the recent third quarter dip in Disney’s bottom line, thanks to many factors, which included the financial failure of Dark Phoenix at the box office. Admittedly, while the company’s theme park division also accounted for the bump in the road, the film studio is admittedly the bread and butter of the Walt Disney Company’s operations.

With that core tenet in mind, it looks as if the next two films on the Fox docket, the Brad Pitt sci-fi drama Ad Astra and the Christian Bale/Matt Damon racing biopic Ford v. Ferrari, are going to be the most important films to the future of Disney’s conjoined film dominion. Here are the reasons why they’ll be so important.

The Fox Brand Has Yet To Be Defined In Disney’s Corporate Structure

In the environment of the Fox/Disney merger, the exact purpose of the 20th Century Fox label hasn’t been defined just yet. Much as Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm Ltd. have their respective brands and slates of production, it would be assumed that in order for Fox to survive, it needs to prove itself useful.

Should Ad Astra and Ford v. Ferrari become box office hits, the studio would very easily have a defined lane to stay in. Operating within a PG-13 – R-rated playing field, Fox could evolve into a powerhouse that takes up the mantle that Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures once operated under in Disney in the ‘90s.

More mature projects can flourish under this banner, with mid-to-high budget figures and independent of the more blockbuster portions of the joint film operations of Disney/Fox. If this strategy pans out, more experimental films can be crafted, finding new and exciting paths for creators to take with their work.

Both Movies Are Driven By Impressive Star Power

The importance of star power is something that’s still debated in the realm of the cinematic market. While it’s hard to try and determine which concepts will draw audiences to the theater, it’s even harder to gauge which performers can still pack ‘em in the aisles at your local movie house.

Combining the star power of both Ad Astra and Ford v. Ferrari, you’ll see Brad Pitt, Liv Tyler and Tommy Lee Jones leading that first film, with Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Jon Bernthal and even Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe taking up the cause for that second picture. That’s a lot of well-known names, appealing to a nice cross generational mix of potential filmgoers.

It’s a wide spectrum of names that could draw in just the right balance of older and younger film fans to their local cinemas. While the casts and the content of these films don’t scream Marvel Cinematic Universe levels of popularity, there’s enough firepower to rack up two outside of the box hits at the box office, and keep Fox in play for the foreseeable future.

Ad Astra Is A Potential Sleeper Hit

There’s a two-pronged structure that could ensure Fox would stay alive into the foreseeable future. All that needs to happen is for the studio to rack up a blockbuster-sized hit with audiences and an awards season title that produces a killer amount of buzz. Since Fox only has a co-production credit on Terminator: Dark Fate, its blockbuster hopes are probably better pinned on Ad Astra.

In terms of the audience-friendly blockbuster, Ad Astra could replicate the record-setting success that 20th Century Fox had with The Martian back in 2015. While there’s no pre-existing source material for director James Gray’s high concept space adventure, the right comparisons between this film and the Matt Damon adaptation of Andy Weir’s exciting tale of survival on Mars could mean blockbuster returns.

A late September release window, with Rambo: Last Blood acting as the only direct competition, could put Ad Astra into a surprising position as a big ticket hit. If that happens, the losses of films like Dark Phoenix may be forgiven in the name of helping further define the type of movie Fox should be releasing.

Ford V. Ferrari Could Be An Awards Season Contender

With Ad Astra looking to potentially win audiences over with its high minded science fiction, Ford v. Ferrari would fulfill the other side of the two-pronged structure to define the modern era of Fox movie content. That means director James Mangold could hold the key to the studio’s awards season fate.

The simple truth when it comes to 20th Century Fox is this: there are only three more films to be released on its 2019 calendar: Ad Astra, Ford v. Ferrari, and Spies In Disguise. That means the studio’s best chance for an awards season ringer is Mangold’s tale of the fateful 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Ideally, this would also be a candidate for blockbuster success, what with its budget being similar to Ad Astra’s. However, this is undoubtedly a prestige player in the Fox stable, and all the money in the world wouldn’t make up for it not nabbing some sort of nominations come Oscar night. Especially when the studio’s own awards-heavy offshoot is looking at some troubled times as well.

Fox Searchlight’s Fate Hangs In The Balance, By Proxy

While they aren’t part of the Fox proper release slate, the output that Fox Searchlight will be engaging in marketing to the public in the next couple of months will also be affected by how well Fox proper can get its job done.

With Ready Or Not and Jojo Rabbit as prime examples of the studio’s output for the rest of 2019, these represent the highest profile titles that Fox Searchlight has coming in the next couple of months. And while Disney has sworn to not only keep Searchlight active, but also not to interfere with their operations, should Fox fail, that could change.

The beginnings of that interference have been seen as the parent studio is apparently getting cold feet about releasing Taika Waititi’s anti-hate satire, as the Mouse House is afraid the film will alienate Disney’s core audience. If Ad Astra succeeds, then there’s a good chance that Jojo Rabbit just might be left alone, as it will earn the studio the breathing room it needs. Should it fail hard enough, we could see Fox Searchlight’s autonomy crumble, with projects such as Antlers and Downhill potentially looking for a new home in order to free up some Disney release space.

The merger between Disney and Fox changed the landscape of Hollywood in a substantial manner, and there are going to be plenty of ripples that we’ll see taking shape in the cinematic pond throughout the rest of 2019. While those particular side effects aren’t set in stone, it’s safe to say that Ad Astra and Ford V. Ferrari are going to be the two most important films for The Walt Disney Company.

The rest of the Disney film slate this year is comprised of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Naturally, two of those movies are monolithic sure bets, while Maleficent’s sequel is a gamble, but a very safe one considering the first film’s success. So those films aren’t going to be as much of a going concern when those third quarter results are still looming fresh in studio executives' minds and the Fox side of the house being behind such results.

We’ll see where the rest of 2019 takes Disney and Fox, but if the latter studio wants to please the former in an impressive fashion, succeeding with those two star-powered films will be essential to saving their collective skin. So if you’re interested in saving Fox and have interest in either film mentioned above, the following information will be crucial.

Ad Astra lands in theaters on September 20, while Ford v. Ferrari revs its engines theatrically on November 15. To keep track of these films, and all others being released throughout the rest of this year, take a look at our 2019 release schedule.

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 brought us to the moon. Exactly 50 years later, the filmmakers behind Brad Pitt's upcoming sci-fi movie Ad Astra honored the historic milestone while also sharing a featurette on the movie. "Ad Astra" means "To the stars," as film director James Gray notes in the video. Watch him talk more about the history of space travel, tying it to the September 2019 movie, in this video:

As you can see, the 20th Century Fox sneak peek includes some footage from the movie. Ad Astra follows astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), who travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father, Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones). His journey unravels a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet, uncovering secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos. The biggest of big picture stuff!

Ad Astra filmed in 2017 and was previously scheduled for release in January 2019, and then May 2019. The first trailer came out in June ahead of the film's new release date this September 20. Ad Astra has been somewhat under-the-radar through the blockbuster parade of 2019 so far, but perhaps that will make it all the more intriguing to fans.

Ad Astra also stars Liv Tyler as Roy McBride's wife, and co-stars Donald Sutherland, Ruth Negga, and Jamie Kennedy. A second trailer for the movie was just released in mid-July, showing more of the sci-fi film:

Back in April 2017, director James Gray told Collider he was terrified of the challenge he had set for himself to make Ad Astra:

Space travel movies can be hit or miss with critics and audiences. Not every movie is 2001, Apollo 13, Gravity, The Martian, Interstellar, etc. Last year's First Man was a hit with critics, but the Ryan Gosling film only made $45 million at the domestic box office. Sean Penn's Hulu series The First -- following the first human mission to Mars -- was cancelled last year after one season.

Before Brad Pitt leads Ad Astra, we'll see him on the big screen opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which opens in theaters in the U.S. on July 26. Ad Astra will be in theaters on September 20.

James Gray’s Ad Astra was slated to open in theaters on May 24, opposite Booksmart, Brightburn and Aladdin. But when May arrived and we still hadn’t seen a trailer, that release date began to look unlikely. And indeed, the film wound up being pushed back until September of this year. Now the first trailer has finally arrived and it looks to have been worth the wait. Check out Brad Pitt heading to space to find Tommy Lee Jones in Ad Astra:

At the beginning of the year, without a lick of footage, I had Ad Astra on my list of most intriguing under-the-radar 2019 movies and after seeing this trailer I am considerably more intrigued and don’t expect this to stay under-the-radar for long. That’s because this trailer is chock full of stunning visuals, interesting character moments, and a story that leaves you with more questions than had you not seen the trailer at all.

The most simplistic description of the story of Ad Astra is that Brad Pitt’s astronaut Roy McBride travels into space to find his missing father, but as we see here it is much, much more complicated than that. The way the trailer begins with some sort of phenomenon dubbed ‘The Surge’, which seems to be like an electromagnetic pulse, immediately lets us know that there is more going on than just a missing Tommy Lee Jones.

Brad Pitt’s character finds out that his father’s mission to search for intelligent life isn’t quite what he thought he it was. It’s unclear if they know if he is still alive (he is) or where he is, but what is known is that he was experimenting with some nasty stuff. Anyone who watches The Expanse, and if you don’t you should, probably got major protomolecule vibes here.

So Roy McBride must go find his father and save the entire Solar System. Finding out the truth, about his father, about extraterrestrial life, about what connection there is between The Surge and his father’s work (there’s gotta be right?) will be the driving questions of this space mystery.

The science fiction elements of the trailer weren’t the only intriguing parts though. The mentions of psychological evaluations and Brad Pitt reiterating his commitment to the mission are quite interesting and could foreshadow some sort of space madness for the character. I also suspect that when he finds his father and learns the truth, he will have to make a hard choice between honoring his mission and his love for his father.

It’s those human elements that make for the best sci-fi and they look to be present here. Also, to quote Armageddon, “What are you doing with a gun in space?” Engaging in a lunar rover chase/shootout, that’s what! Liv Tyler is once again back on Earth thinking about her astronaut. There looks to be some really cool action in Ad Astra and with Dunkirk and Interstellar cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema behind the lens, it all looks positively gorgeous.

James Gray’s previous efforts include We Own the Night and The Lost City of Z and although it sounds like Ad Astra was pushed back in part to finish all the effects, a September release could mean there is confidence it could compete come awards time.

You can go to the stars when Ad Astra releases on September 20. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this year’s biggest movies.

To say that 2019 is a huge year at the movies is a massive understatement. This year is full to bursting with superhero films, long-awaited sequels, reboots, remakes of animated classics, video game adaptations, blockbusters aplenty and a little thing called Star Wars: Episode IX.

You could probably stick to the tentpole movies that fall on the 'most anticipated' lists and have a great year at the theater, but chances are if you're reading this site, you have a bigger cinematic appetite and desire more than just the movies that will have huge opening weekends.

This year has a lot of intriguing movies flying just under the radar of the big blockbusters. You may have heard of some of these, but it's a good bet the public at large is unaware of many of these films. The majority of them don't even have trailers yet. Nevertheless, these movies are all intriguing for different reasons, be it the talented filmmakers behind them or a compelling and original premise.

This list is by no means all encompassing, and there is a ton of stuff that we do and don't know about that will probably make a splash before the year is out, but here are the most intriguing under the radar movies of 2019.

Serenity

When it comes to intriguing looking films, 2019 starts off fast with Serenity, from Steven Knight, director of Locke and creator of Peaky Blinders. This thriller stars Matthew McConaughey as a fishing boat captain whose past catches up with him when his ex-wife, played by Anne Hathaway, comes calling for help. His life becomes embroiled in mystery and he finds that not all may be what it seems. It's hard to say what Serenity will be, but it looks weird and pulpy, like an island blend of Twin Peaks and Bloodline. Serenity also stars Djimon Hounsou, Diane Lane and Jason Clarke.

Release Date: January 25

Chaos Walking

What do you get when you pair Spider-Man actor Tom Holland and Rey actress Daisy Ridley? Chaos Walking, the new dystopian sci-fi film from Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman. Based on a series of young adult novels by Patrick Ness, Chaos Walking tells the story of Todd Hewitt (Holland) a boy in a world with no women, where all living creatures can hear each other's thoughts through a stream of visual and auditory input called Noise. When Todd is forced to flee his town, he discovers a girl, Viola (Ridley). Together the two must escape their pursuers and discover the truth.

Release Date: March 1

Us

Jordan Peele's directorial debut Get Out flew under the radar until it didn't, and he's returning once again to the horror genre for his follow up. Us stars the MCU's Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke as a couple that take their kids to their beach house, only to have their holiday interrupted by some unexpected, horrific and eerily familiar visitors. Get Out was creepy, but the first trailer for Us indicates that for his sophomore film, Jordan Peele has created something truly terrifying. Everything about Us is compelling and it will be interesting to see if Jordan Peele can make it 2 for 2.

Release Date: March 15

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Director Richard Linklater is back, and like his previous effort, Last Flag Flying, he is adapting a popular bestseller for the screen. Where'd You Go, Bernadette is based on the novel by Maria Semple and stars Oscar winner Cate Blanchett as an anxiety-ridden mother and architect who disappears after her daughter Bee asks for a family trip to Antarctica. In a story not unlike last year's Searching, Bee, played by Emma Nelson, must search her mother's letters and emails to try and find where she went. The film looks light and fun, and with Richard Linklater directing, Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a film worth paying attention to.

Release Date: March 22

Rocketman

Last year had A Star is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody, and 2019 looks to continue the hit music movie trend with Rocketman. The Elton John biopic actually comes from Dexter Fletcher, the man who took over directing duties on Bohemian Rhapsody after Bryan Singer was fired. Here we'll get to see what he does with a film about another music icon when he has the reigns from the start. What makes Rocketman especially intriguing and unique is that it will be taking less of a traditional approach to the material and instead be more of a highly stylized biopic that will have fantasy elements to it. Rocketman stars Taron Egerton as Elton John, as well as Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard and Jamie Bell.

Release Date: May 31

Ad Astra

The Lost City of Z and We Own the Night director James Gray delves into the realm of science fiction for Ad Astra. The film stars Brad Pitt as an Army Corps engineer and astronaut who journeys into space to find his missing father, played by Tommy Lee Jones, who disappeared decades ago on a search for alien life. The premise has Interstellar vibes as a sci-fi film with a core family element at its heart. What makes Ad Astra especially intriguing is the mystery element because finding out why Tommy Lee Jones' character disappeared in the first place may prove just as important as actually finding him.

Release Date: May 24

Ford v. Ferrari

To the dismay of some Star Wars fans, we aren't getting a James Mangold-directed Boba Fett movie, but the Logan director still has an exciting new movie in the pipeline. Ford v. Ferrari tells the true story of the Ford Motor Company's attempt to reinvent itself in the 1960s by entering the world of European racing and taking on perennial powerhouse Ferrari. Ford v. Ferrari stars Christian Bale as driver Ken Miles, Outlander's Caitriona Balfe as his wife Mollie, and The Punisher's Jon Bernthal as Lee Iacocca. Matt Damon will play automotive legend Carroll Shelby. We don't get many racing movies, and the talent involved and story here makes Ford v. Ferrari one of 2019's most intriguing movies.

Release Date: June 28

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

If he is to be believed, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood could be Quentin Tarantino's penultimate feature film. Regardless of whether or not that holds true, the auteur has a highly intriguing film on the books for this summer. Set in 1969, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follows a former Western TV star, Rick Dalton and his stunt double, trying to find their place in a changing Hollywood. The film takes place during Charles Manson's reign of terror, with Margot Robbie on board to play Sharon Tate. The film has been described as Pulp Fiction-esque, which is highly appealing because that 1994 film is probably Tarantino's most famous one. Tarantino has assembled perhaps his most impressive cast to date, including Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell, Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant and James Marsden.

Release Date: August 9

The Kitchen

We all know about the big superhero movies coming in 2019, but comic books have more to offer than just brightly colored heroes fighting aliens. The Kitchen is based on a Vertigo comic by Ollie Masters. It follows the wives of three gangsters in 1970s Hell's Kitchen who, after their husbands go to prison, continue running their rackets. The Kitchen marks the directorial debut of Straight Outta Compton writer Andrea Berloff and stars Melissa McCarthy, Elisabeth Moss and Tiffany Haddish as the wives of the Irish gangsters who take to the business. The film also stars Common, James Badge Dale, Margo Martindale and Domhnall Gleeson.

Release Date: September 20

Gemini Man

Gemini Man has languished in development hell for two decades, but it will finally see the light of day this year. Oscar winning filmmaker Ang Lee directs Will Smith as an over-the-hill hitman who must face off with a much younger clone of himself. Modern de-aging technology means that this film can be done in a way it couldn't twenty years ago, and with Ang Lee at the helm, this Looper-esque sci-fi story will hopefully push emotional boundaries in addition to technological ones. Gemini Man also stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen and Benedict Wong.

Release Date: October 4

Knives Out

If you rewind back before Star Wars: The Last Jedi split the fandom, everyone was excited for Episode VIII because of what Rian Johnson had done with his original films like Brick and Looper. Now a much more divisive filmmaker, Rian Johnson is back with his new original film Knives Out. The film, written and directed by Johnson, has an incredible cast that includes, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer and Lakeith Stanfield. That murderers' row of talent is fitting for what is described as a modern murder mystery. We don't know much about this whodunit film, but the secrecy only adds to the interest for a Rian Johnson film without the expectations of Star Wars.

Release Date: November 27

The Last Thing He Wanted

Following her previous Netflix film Mudbound, Dee Rees is returning to the streaming service with The Last Thing He Wanted. Based on the novel by Joan Didion, the film follows Anne Hathaway's character, a journalist covering the 1984 Presidential primaries. She quits her job to do a favor for her father and winds up becoming an arms dealer for a covert government agency. That is a riveting premise that is loaded with potential. The Last Thing He Wanted also stars Ben Affleck, Willem Dafoe and Toby Jones. As a Netflix movie, this one is flying under the radar, but it definitely seems like something worth keeping an eye out for.

Release Date: TBD 2019

The Irishman

After a decade or so tackling other subjects, Martin Scorsese, the director of Mean Streets, Goodfellas and The Departed, is back with a new mob movie. Robert De Niro stars as Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran, a mafia hitman who, near the end of his life, claimed to have killed Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa, who will be played by Al Pacino. The wildly expensive Netflix film will be something of a retrospective as Frank looks back on his life and the choices he made. The Irishman will use the increasingly in vogue de-aging technology for the flashbacks, showing us a younger De Niro and Pacino. This mobster film fan's dream also stars Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Joe Pesci, Jesse Plemons and Harvey Keitel.

Release Date: TBD 2019

For all of 2019's movies big and small, check out our release schedule.

After what seemed like an eternity of being an unspoken truth, World War Z 2 was officially taken off of the 2017 release schedule a couple of days ago, putting the project into somewhat of an uncertain future. What seems less uncertain is the prospects in front of lead actor, and all around consummate professional, Brad Pitt. This is especially true, considering the delay on the still director-less sequel has left Pitt open to possibly board another project in his orbit: the sci-fi space drama Ad Astra.

Deadline reported that Pitt is possibly looking at James Gray's tale of a "slightly autistic space engineer" and his journey past the Earth's surly bonds. This quest is all in the name of science, as Roy McBride, our lead character, is trying to figure out why his dad's mission to find proof of life in the stars en route to Neptune went amiss. While World War Z 2 is currently being held up by Paramount's reluctance to pull the trigger on an official greenlight, as well as the fact that it still needs to land David Fincher officially if it wants to keep him, all that's holding Ad Astra up at the moment is budgetary concerns.

The film sounds like an interesting blend of some rather well-known space films, particularly Contact and Interstellar, and seeing Brad Pitt return to the world of sci-fi is almost always a treat. Come to think of it, in the short synopsis that Ad Astra has to describe itself with, it's already proven that it'd be a better fit for Pitt's talents than a return to World War Z 2 could ever dream of being. Then again, if David Fincher gets an official greenlight to make the earth zombified again, and with a hopefully R-rated option, that opinion could always change.

With the horror genre stuck in neutral over at Paramount, partially in thanks to their cancellation of the long suffering Friday The 13th reboot, it wouldn't be a total shock if World War Z 2 gets cancelled altogether. The studio is in need of sure-fire hits, and with the Transformers franchise looking to branch out, World War Z 2's potential production budget could be parlayed into another Autobot / Decepticon showdown. Of course, this is all speculation, but considering how lucky the studio was that World War Z ended up hitting, it'd probably be a good time to take their money off this particular marker, and walk away a little bit wiser.

While there's no official production start set, as well as no confirmation as to whether Brad Pitt will be starring or not, Ad Astra looks to play among the stars with a prospective shooting window being eyed for this summer. If anything changes, you'll be the first to know thanks to us here at CinemaBlend!