Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum star in the new movie, Fly Me to the Moon, a romantic comedy set once morest the backdrop of NASA’s historic moon landing. The film delightfully recreates the 60s, while the backstory behind it revealed by director Greg Berlanti is that ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ was never meant to be released in cinemas.
The original plan was to stream the film, but as the director explained: “When we delivered it, we started testing it. We tested it in Denver and it went really well. In California, in Texas. Each time, the response from the public was very great.” So, following this warm response from the public, it was decided that the film with the strong leading duo, will reach the dark theaters. And very soon, specifically on July 11, we are going to see it in Greek cinemas.
The plot of the movie
Kelly Jones (Johansson), the marketing prodigy, arrives to fix NASA’s public image and wreaks havoc on the already difficult job of launch director Cole Davis (Tatum). But it might be the secret weapon NASA needs to win the race with the Russians to be the first to land on the moon. With the US president deeming the mission too important to fail, Jones is ordered to stage a fake, back-up moon landing and the countdown truly begins…
A few words regarding the film
In the new comedy “Fly Me to the Moon” set on the brink of the space age’s greatest triumph, the sweeping marketing whiz (Scarlett Johansson) must work with the launch director (Channing Tatum). “All these people worked hard to achieve the impossible. For Cole, who is an optimist, this is enough,” says Scarlett Johansson, who is producing the film with her company These Pictures.
“Kelly, who is a pessimist, realizes that people are more cynical. The world is a complicated place. So Cole’s reluctance contrasts with her determination to do whatever it takes. Kelly believes the end justifies the means, while Cole does not. That’s where their disagreement arises,” adds the actress.
Channing Tatum, in turn, reports regarding his role: “For my character, Cole, NASA represents the conquest of the impossible. The Apollo 11 mission is not just any mission. And it’s certainly not a TV ad, a consumer product to be sold. It is, perhaps, humanity’s greatest achievement.”
Greg Berlanti, one of the most successful writer-directors, took over the directorial reins and says the film is regarding these two sides that make America a fascinating country. “The spirit of the country back then was to believe in the impossible,” says Berlanti. “It took two kinds of people to go to the moon. It took hardworking, everyday people who gave their all to the engineering part, and it took guys like JFK to sell it, before they even made sure it was possible. And that’s America’s scenario, it takes a salesman and individuals to get something done. That’s what these two characters represent, that Yin and Yang that is deeply rooted in our identity as a people,” he adds.
The background behind the film
The original idea for the film was born in the mind of Keenan Flynn of These Pictures: “What if what millions of people heard on July 20, 1969 was not the actual sound of people walking on the moon, but the images they saw were fake , directed in the style of a Hollywood film?’
Johansson liked the idea, but intended to only produce and not star. Everything changed when he read Rose Gilroy’s script. “I didn’t set out to play Kelly,” she says, “but when the script came, it was so good. It was well written and had powerful dialogues. As a female producer, working with a female screenwriter who has created a strong female character was the right move.”
In the director’s role, Johansson selected, pursued and eventually convinced Berlanti to take the reins. One of television’s most prolific writers and producers, Berlanti rarely chooses to direct, especially feature films, although 2018’s Love, Simon received rave reviews and was well-loved by audiences.
Greg Berlanti rarely directs, but from the first moment he read the script, he knew how he wanted to tell this story.
The two protagonists are supported by a cast of popular actors in roles that let them shine. “The hardest part and the greatest joy is taking each actor and the way they perform, putting them all together and simmering them down,” says Berlanti. “I wanted to give them the opportunity to do their own thing,” he adds.
Minor omissions
In the film, a cat also plays, for the role of which three cats were needed. The director admits that he was initially asked to bring the cat into the film’s digital editing stage, but declined, despite being allergic to their fur.
The film had the support of NASA and the technical advisors who took part in the space programs of that time.
NASA confirms that there was no top secret plan to broadcast a fake moon landing instead of the real one.
The film’s cinematographer, Dariusz Wolski, was in front of the camera for the first time, playing Edward, the cinematographer of the fake moon landing.
To seamlessly integrate the archival footage into the film’s narrative, editor Harry Jierjian utilized many classic ’60s stitching techniques.
The work of the film’s costume designer, Mary Zophres, involved not only the fancy clothes of the protagonists, but also the everyday clothes of the extras, which she took care of equally. The costume designer, according to the director, dressed all the extras herself.
Scarlett Johansson’s appearance as Kelly Jones in the film has borrowed some elements from the style of Mrs. Howell in the ’60s TV series ‘Gilligan’s Island’.
Johansson confides that she wore her costume designer aunt Mary Zophres’ shoes throughout the film. “I think she built my entire wardrobe around her aunt’s shoes,” says the actress.
Channing Tatum himself performs the dangerous scene in which he appears for the first time in the film, falling through a window due to an explosion.
Released July 11 in theaters by Feelgood
Source: newsbeast.gr
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