Ad Astra (film)

Ad Astra
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJames Gray
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyHoyte van Hoytema
Edited by
  • John Axelrad
  • Lee Haugen
Music byMax Richter
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • August 29, 2019 (2019-08-29) (Venice)
  • September 20, 2019 (2019-09-20) (United States)
Running time
124 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$80–100 million[2]
Box office$135.4 million[3]

Ad Astra is a 2019 American psychological science fiction film produced, co-written, and directed by James Gray. Starring Brad Pitt (who also produced), Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler, and Donald Sutherland, it follows an astronaut who ventures into space in search of his lost father, whose obsessive quest to discover intelligent alien life at all costs threatens the Solar System and all life on Earth.

The project was announced in early 2016, with Gray saying he wanted to feature "the most realistic depiction of space travel that's been put in a movie". Pitt signed on to star in April 2017 and the rest of the cast joined later that year. Filming began around Los Angeles that August, lasting through October.

Ad Astra premiered at the Venice Film Festival on August 29, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on September 20, 2019, by 20th Century Fox.[4][5] It received positive reviews from critics, with praise for Pitt's performance.[6] The film grossed $135 million worldwide against an $80–100 million budget. At the 92nd Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Sound Mixing.

  1. ^ "Ad Astra". Venice Film Festival. July 15, 2019. Archived from the original on July 25, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference opening was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Ad Astra (2019)". The Numbers. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference var was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Pallotta, Frank (September 20, 2019). "'Ad Astra' could be the hit that 20th Century Fox desperately needs". CNN. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  6. ^ Zack Sharf (August 29, 2019). "Brad Pitt's Stellar 2019 Continues as Critics Praise 'Ad Astra' Performance in First Reviews". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.