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Universal City, California, December 10, 2018 – Follow the gripping and captivating true story of the first manned mission to the moon in First Man, arriving on Digital and via the digital movie app Movies Anywhere on January 8, 2019 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on January 22, 2019 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Hailed by critics as “the best movie of the year” (Collider) and “exhilarating” (Entertainment Weekly), First Man comes from acclaimed Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy as Janet Armstrong in the heroic and emotionally driven journey through a pivotal moment in the history of mPutting You In the Seat – Through the use of innovative technology, most of First Man was shot in-camera. Take an in-depth look behind the lens of this epic film.

Based on the book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen...

The 4K Ultra HD and blu-ray details for Damien Chazelle's latest film, First Man, have been revealed along with the handful of bonus features for fans to enjoy. Come inside to learn more!

First Man brought the harrowing story behind the first Moon landing to the big screen earlier this year, but if you missed out on the stunning film, or simply want to watch it again, you'll get your chance next month. Universal has announced the film will launch digitally on January 8th, with the 4K Ultra HD/blu-ray arriving a couple weeks later on January 22nd with a handful of bonus features:

Follow the gripping and captivating true story of the first manned mission to the moon in First Man, arriving on Digital and via the digital movie app Movies Anywhere on January 8, 2019 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on January 22, 2019 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Late singer’s estate rep and niece says, ’This film is authentic and is my aunt to her core.’

After decades of delays and an eleventh-hour intervention by the late singer herself, Us viewers will finally get the chance to see the Aretha Franklin concert doc Amazing Grace in theatres. Neon announced on Friday (7) it had picked up North American rights and has set an Oscar-qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles

Amazing Grace premiered at Doc NYC and went on to play AFI Fest. Neon, who launched awards contender and box office hit Three Identical Strangers earlier in...

Boutique Neon has picked up the North American rights to “Amazing Grace,” the long-delayed concert documentary that follows Aretha Franklin during a seminal 1972 show. The film had its world premiere at Doc NYC and also screened at AFI Fest. Neon will release the film theatrically in 2019, although it has already received an Oscar-qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles.

Per its official synopsis, the long-awaited documentary has now been “realized by Alan Elliott” and “presents Aretha Franklin with choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, when the legendary queen of soul was 29 years-old and at the peak of her vocal powers. Elliott produced alongside Joe Boyd, Chiemi Karasawa, Rob Johnson, Sabrina Owens, Tirrell D. Whittley, Jerry Wexler and Joseph Woolf.” A young Sydney Pollack was hired to direct the project, though it remained unfinished for decades.

As IndieWire’s Anne Thompson wrote earlier this year, “Pollack captured...

One of the main reasons movies resonate with us is that they make us think: about our own lives, our history or our appreciation for past pieces of art. So many of this year’s awards contenders do one or all of the above, be it a flashy musical that yanks at memories from our childhood like “Mary Poppins Returns” or period dramas like “Green Book” and “If Beale Street Could Talk” that takes on race relations and reminds us that we haven’t evolved as far past the Jim Crow era as we’d like to think. We’ve rounded up a list of films that will most likely bring up these sensations – for better or for worse – with awards season voters.

A Star Is Born

Every generation nose this story

Since its inception, Hollywood’s delicate eco-system has maintained its balance by cheering talent on the rise while...

While 2018 has been a stunning year for character animation and world building, powered by “Ready Player One,” “Black Panther,” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” the Oscar race for Best Visual Effects shapes up as a showdown between “First Man” and “Avengers: Infinity War” — reshaping in-camera VFX for Nasa’s trip to the moon versus Marvel’s brilliant CG Thanos.

On “Avengers: Infinity War,” Digital Domain created Thanos in parallel with Weta Digital. The success of both Thanos characters was a result of conveying every nuance of Brolin’s onset performance via Dd’s new high-res facial capture system, which captured Brolin’s facial data and then added the actor’s low-res onset performance. Through analysis and fine-tuning, the animators accurately joined Brolin with Thanos, which could yield Marvel its first VFX Oscar. The level of photo-real performance capture definitely raises the bar for a humanoid.

Damien Chazelle set out to...

“First Man” is Damien Chazelle’s first movie that is not about music or a musician, but music still plays a huge part of the Neil Armstrong biopic, thanks to Justin Hurwitz’s score. Chazelle turned to his Harvard roommate and frequent collaborator well before production began.

“He likes to figure out as much music as possible before he shoots,” Hurwitz said at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Composers panel, moderated by this author (watch the exclusive video above). “It’s good for me too because I like to figure out what the themes are. That’s the hardest and the most frustrating part for me, just searching for right themes. He loves themes. He’s very into a melodic sensibility. Maybe he’ll make a movie at some point that doesn’t have a melodic score, but so far he’s really wanted that.”

Hurwitz, who won Best...

Exclusive: Now this has a familiar ring to it: Robert Zemeckis is revisiting the 1950s to rewrite history with one new project and then he’s going back to the future to prove the power of love with a second project.

No, Zemeckis isn’t revving up the DeLorean for more Marty McFly sequels — however, the director of the Back to the Future trilogy (1985-1990) and Contact (1997) is making a relatively rare return to science fiction with the two projects. This time around, however, his foray into the genre is in a producing role. On Monday, Zemeckis talked about the two projects: Bios, the upcoming feature film; and Project Blue Book, a television series that premieres in January on History.

Bios, scheduled to start filming early next year, reunites Zemeckis with one of his most celebrated collaborators. “We’re producing a really magnificent science fiction project called Bios with Tom Hanks,...

Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong in “First Man,” directed by Oscar®-winning filmmaker Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”).

Universal Pictures and Cinemark Holdings, Inc. today announced that in observance of Veterans Day, on Monday, Nov. 12, 2018, free tickets will be presented to all U.S. veterans, active-duty service members and their spouses for Universal’s First Man at more than 60 Cinemark locations nationwide. Veterans and service members with a valid, government-issued Va or military ID will receive up to two tickets to see First Man at any Cinemark location playing the film. To determine if First Man is available at your local theatre, visit cinemark.com. First Man, from Academy Award®-winning director Damien Chazelle, stars Ryan Gosling as astronaut Neil Armstrong.

“Our dad flew 78 combat missions in the Korean War during his career as a Naval aviator, and he deeply valued the enduring friendships he forged during those years for the rest of his life,...

At today’s The Contenders La event, Universal Pictures took the audience rocketing back to the 1960s by presenting panels on two very different historical films: First Man and Green Book.

First Man tells the well-known story of Neil Armstrong’s journey to becoming the first man to walk on the moon, in 1969. The other, Green Book, makes a different sort of voyage to another planet, when real-life concert pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), who happens to be black, makes an early-1960s concert tour of the Deep South with working-class Italian bouncer Tony Lipp (Viggo Mortensen) acting as his bodyguard.

RelatedThe Contenders La: Read About All The Panels So Far

Deadline co-executive editor Mike Fleming Jr. moderated the First Man panel that included director-producer Damien Chazelle, cinematographer Linus Sandgren, editor Tom Cross and composer Justin Hurwitz. The group talked about how they pooled their talents to perhaps create a darker,...

When Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) lands on the moon and exits the spacecraft, the “First Man” soundtrack goes quiet, the camera still, and the image expands to accommodate the IMAX-shot footage. The 15 minutes leading up to this inevitable, climatic moment of Armstrong’s first steps on the moon move like music. Not unlike director Damien Chazelle’s previous film, “La La Land,” the visuals are carefully designed to match the timing and emotion of composer Justin Hurwitz’s score.

This third act conclusion is the polar opposite of the 110 minutes that preceded it, when the film leaned heavily on documentary-style footage. As a guest on IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, the Oscar-winning director explained that building emotional currents toward the cinematic explosion of the film’s conclusion required using the camera to unearth the man behind the myth.

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to the Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast

“With someone like Neil Armstrong,...

Alejandro Rojas Nov 2, 2018

Alfred Worden, who spent over three days alone in a command module circling the moon, served as a technical consultant for First Man.

Accuracy was essential to the filmmakers of First Man, and one of the reasons the film has been met with so much critical acclaim. To create the realism seen in the spaceflight portions of the film, the moviemakers relied on experts, such as former astronaut Alfred Worden who served as a technical consultant. Worden was the command module pilot for Apollo 15, and his work on the mission garnered him two Guinness World Records, including one for being “the most isolated that any human has been.”

Worden was not at work when the famous Apollo 11 mission was underway. He was in California preparing for a flight of his own. However, this time, he was not flying to space.

“As a matter of fact, I was heading back home,...

PBS International has sold space-race documentary series “Chasing the Moon” to a host of international broadcasters following a screening at Mipcom in Cannes, the company announced Wednesday. Among 13 broadcasters boarding the title are the BBC for the U.K., Arte for France and Germany, and Sbs in Australia.

The six-hour series, produced to commemorate next year’s 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, is expected to air around the world in the summer of 2019.

Directed by the Oscar- and Emmy-nominated Robert Stone, “Chasing the Moon” tells the behind-the-scenes story of Nasa’s mission to put a man on the moon. Through interviews with many of the key players in the historic events, including Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins and fellow astronauts Frank Borman and Bill Anders, and access to previously overlooked and lost archival material, the documentary looks to reveal the scientific innovation, political calculation,...

In 1983, The Right Stuff — recounting the early days of Nasa's space program and America's first astronauts — was dubbed a box-office miss upon topping out at $65.7 million, adjusted for inflation, to rank No. 35 for the year. Still, the film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including best picture (it lost to Terms of Endearment).

More than three decades later, the critically acclaimed First Man, starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, the commander of Apollo 11 and the first man to walk on the moon, could be facing a similar fate. The visceral historical drama got ...

In 1983, The Right Stuff — recounting the early days of Nasa's space program and America's first astronauts — was dubbed a box office miss upon topping out at $65.7 million, adjusted for inflation, to rank No. 35 for the year. Still, the film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including best picture (it lost to Terms of Endearment).

More than three decades later, the critically acclaimed First Man, starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, the commander of Apollo 11 and the first man to walk on the moon, could be facing a similar fate. The visceral historical drama ...

The biopic of Neil Armstrong and the first moon landing has Us patriots all fired up, but do Gosling and director Damien Chazelle achieve their objectives?

Damien Chazelle’s film about the iron-jawed, ice-water-in-the-veins pilot and astronaut Neil Armstrong is a rocket pointed directly at the distant planet known as Awards Season. It ought to do well there, as its thrilling set-pieces, strong performances, dramatic score and sweeping emotions achieve escape velocity from typical biopic trappings.

You’d think a movie like First Man wouldn’t have too many surprises; most people know that Apollo 11 landed on the moon and safely returned. Yet there’s a lot to rummage through in all this lunar dust. Chazelle and company make a lot of unusual choices. One of those choices got a little blown out of proportion into a quasi-controversy when “alt-right” bozos such as renowned troglodyte Dinesh D’Souza, repeated...

Tom Hardy’s “Venom” grabbed $35.7 million to repeat as the winner of the North American box office, followed by Lady Gaga’s “A Star Is Born” with $28 million.

Ryan Gosling’s “First Man” launched in third place at the low end of expectations with $16.6 million at 3,640 sites, edging the opening of Sony’s “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween” with $16.2 million at 3,521 venues.

“Venom,” which declined 56%, is the first repeat winner at the box office since “Crazy Rich Asians” won three straight weekends in August. Moveigoers have continued to shrug off negative reviews as the movie has taken in more than $142 million domestically at 4,250 locations in its first 10 days for Sony. It’s also continued the dominance of Marvel’s characters in the superhero movie realm.

“A Star Is Born,” bolstered by stellar reviews and fans excited over the Lady Gaga-Bradley Cooper collaboration, declined by only 33% and lifted its 10-day total...

Holdover hits “Venom” and “A Star Is Born” are in a battle for first place at the North American box office this weekend with “Venom” prevailing with about $30 million, early estimates showed Friday.

Ryan Gosling’s “First Man” is lifting off with around $17 million for Universal, just ahead of “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween” with $16 million. Fox’s opening of “Bad Times at the El Royale” is eyeing about $10 million from 2,850 North American locations. The three openers are all performing in line with forecasts.

Tom Hardy’s “Venom,” which stunned Hollywood last weekend with an $80 million launch, is pegged to decline about 62% to $30 million and wind up its second weekend with a 10-day total of $137 million for Sony. Warner Bros.’ “A Star Is Born” should follow closely with around $28 million at 3,708 venues, showing strong holding power with a decline of only 35%. The Lady Gaga-Bradley Cooper collaboration should end its...

Ryan Gosling’s “First Man” lifted off with $1.1 million at 2,850 North American locations on Thursday night.

Preview showings began at 7 p.m. About a third of the “First Man” total came from $370,000 at 404 Imax screens — the biggest percentage of Thursday previews for a wide studio release that Imax has ever generated.

Sony’s “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween” took in $750,000 from previews starting at 5 p.m. at 2,993 venus. Fox’s “Bad Times at the El Royale” grossed $575,00 from previews at 2,250 locations.

“First Man,” starring Gosling as astronaut Neil Armstrong, has been forecast to open with $18 million to $20 million at 3,640 sites this weekend. It’s heading for a third-place finish behind Tom Hardy’s “Venom” and Lady Gaga’s “A Star Is Born.”

The Universal movie, directed by Damien Chazelle, follows Armstrong’s life and the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969. Critics have embraced “First Man,...

Why doesn’t this movie show astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) planting the American flag on the moon? That was the question nagging away at folks in Venice after the premiere of First Man, Damien Chazelle’s bluntly visceral and deeply empathetic look at the Apollo 11 mission that culminated on July 21, 1969, when Armstrong became the first man ever to walk on the lunar surface. The answer comes down to the filmmaker’s approach to the material, which favors men over machinery and the personal over the political. The Stars...

Universal Pictures and Regal today announced that, on Thursday, October 11, more than 14,000 free tickets will be presented to U.S. veterans and active-duty servicemembers for Universal’s First Man—at more than 500 Regal locations nationwide. Each of the first 25 servicemembers (per location) with valid, government-issued ID who request a ticket will be given free admission to the 7:00 p.m. preview screening (or first show). First Man, from Academy Award®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling, arrives in theatres nationwide the following day.

“During his career as a Naval aviator, our dad flew 78 combat missions in the Korean War,” said Mark and Rick Armstrong. “The friendships he forged during those critical years remained deeply important to him all of his days. Freedom—much like landing on the moon—is an achievement that is hard fought and hard won, and it cannot be accomplished without the sacrifice of our...

Damien Chazelle proves himself to be one of the more versatile directors around, following Oscar-nominated hits like Whiplash and La La Land by tackling a completely different genre — outer space — and succeeding admirably in bringing the story of Apollo 11’s first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, to life in the appropriately titled First Man.

As I say in my video review above, this area is not new to Hollywood and has been favorably filmed with such Best Picture nominees as Apollo 13, The Right Stuff and Gravity. But this one stands out as the singular portrait of just one of those heroes featured in the previous films, and it seems a natural a movie would want to focus on one of the truly genuine pioneers of this or any other lifetime.

Based on the James R. Hansen book and adapted skillfully by Josh Singer, this movie doesn’t...

Richard Roxburgh in ‘Rake’ (Photo: ABC)

Richard Roxburgh is playing Grigory Orlov, a former lover of the 18th Century Russian Empress in the HBO/Sky UK miniseries Catherine the Great.

Helen Mirren is playing the title role in the four-part drama written by Nigel Williams which is now shooting in palaces and on sets in Russia, Latvia and Lithuania.

With his brother Alexei (Kevin McNally) Roxburgh’s character helped orchestrate the coup that brought Catherine to power. Gina McKee is Countess Bruce, her lifelong friend and confidant, with Joseph Quinn as Prince Paul, Catherine’s son and heir.

Rory Kinnear is Minister Panin, a skillful politician, adviser and governor to Prince Paul, and Sam Palladio as Alexander Vasilichikov, Catherine’s young lover.

Jason Clarke is Grigory Potemkin, a Russian military commander who became Catherine’s lover and favoured statesman. Despite scandal, intrigue and immense conflict, they had a devoted relationship...

On the heels of their six-time Academy Award®-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for Universal Pictures’ First Man, the riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores the triumphs and the cost—on Armstrong, his family, his colleagues and the nation itself—of one of the most dangerous missions in history.

Written by Academy Award® winner Josh Singer, the epic drama of leading under the pressure of grace and tragedy is produced by Wyck Godfrey & Marty Bowen through their Temple Hill Entertainment banner, alongside Isaac Klausner and Chazelle. Steven Spielberg, Adam Merims and Singer executive produce, while DreamWorks Pictures co-finances the film.

In...

A number of films at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival were let down by a strange phenomenon rarely encountered by Hollywood’s usual output: reality. Jason Reitman’s highly anticipated The Front Runner, starring Hugh Jackman as disgraced 1980s presidential candidate Gary Hart, was reduced by an anticlimactic, but truthful, final third. Beautiful Boy too, the tale of young drug addiction with Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carrel, concludes on an optimistic, if dull, note: life goes on.

Josh Singer, the young writer of “Spotlight” and now Damien Chazelle’s Neil Armstrong biopic “First Man”, generally averts the fate of boring truth incurred by the above films but, much like Apollo 11, it’s a close one. Though First Man proves a now characteristic spectacle from Chazelle, Ryan Gosling is an odd choice for Armstrong, and he brings to the role a performance odder still. Shaking off the boyish charm that...

Damien Chazelle’s space epic “First Man” should achieve a solid liftoff when it opens on Oct. 12.

Universal’s biographical drama — starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong — is eyeing a launch north of of $20 million though stellar reviews leading up to its opening could propel it closer to $30 million. “First Man’s” production budget was around $70 million, but when tax incentives were taken out, the cost of the film was closer to $60 million.

Josh Singer, known for his work on the Oscar-winning film “Spotlight” and the Oscar-nominated “The Post,” penned the script, which is based on James R. Hansen’s book, “First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong.” It follows Armstrong’s life and the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969. Claire Foy plays Armstrong’s first wife, while Jason Clarke portrays astronaut Ed White. The cast also includes Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll,...

Universal Pictures sure enjoys releasing trailers for director Damien Chazelle’s upcoming film First Man. They say that this is trailer #3, but I’m pretty sure this is the fifth or sixth trailer we’ve seen! Regardless, First Man looks like it’s going to be an incredible film and this new trailer is great! It features some new footage of the film and also focuses on the famous words of President John F. Kennedy in regards to the mission of sending man to the moon.

First Man stars Ryan Gosling is taking on the role of Neil Armstrong and it tells the "riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores the triumphs and the cost—on Armstrong,...

"Not because they are easy... but because they are hard!!" Get ready! First Man is landing in theaters soon. Universal has released a third official trailer for Damien Chazelle's First Man, an intimate look at the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong leading up to his voyage on Apollo 11 and his first steps on the Moon in July of 1969. The film just played to rave reviews at the Venice, Telluride, and Toronto Film Festivals this year (my full review). Ryan Gosling stars as Armstrong, and the full cast includes Claire Foy as his wife Janet, with Pablo Schreiber, Kyle Chandler, Ciarán Hinds, Ethan Embry, Jason Clarke, Brian d'Arcy James, Corey Stoll, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, and Lukas Haas. This is pretty much a perfect trailer for First Man, with the JFK speech and everything, but I feel like it's showing a bit too much. I recommend going...

Amongst its first showings across the current spate of Film festivals, Universal has released a new international trailer for Damien Chazelle’s First Man.

The biopic/”mission movie” follows Neil Armstrong, played by Gosling, as he becomes the first man to walk on the moon in 1969. Gosling teams up once again with Damien Chazelle after the pair worked together on the award-winning La La Land.

Directed by Damien Chazelle from a script written by Nicole Perlman and Josh Singer, the film is based on the book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen. The cast also consists of Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, Patrick Fugit, Christopher Abbott, Ciaran Hinds, Ethan Embry, Shea Whigham, Corey Stoll and Pablo Schreiber.

Steven Spielberg, Adam Merims and Josh Singer executive produce, while DreamWorks Pictures co-financed the film.

Also in trailers – Matthew McConaughey gets high in teaser trailer for The Beach Bum...

I’ve been hearing a lot of great things about director Damien Chazelle’s upcoming film First Man. Now today we have another thrilling international trailer for you to enjoy and it features some intense new footage.

Good grief… I can’t even imagine what it would really be like to be strapped into a rocket and launched out into space. That’s gotta be one hell of a ride! One I would love to get on!

First Man stars Ryan Gosling is taking on the role of Neil Armstrong and it tells the "riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores the triumphs and the cost—on Armstrong, his family, his colleagues...

"We need to fail down here so we don't fail up there." Universal has released another new official UK trailer for Damien Chazelle's new film First Man, an intimate look at the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong leading up to his voyage on Apollo 11 and his first steps on the Moon in July of 1969. The film just premiered at the Toronto Film Festival after showing in Venice, and it's still getting rave reviews from all kinds of critics. Ryan Gosling (from Chazelle's La La Land) stars as Armstrong, and the full cast includes Claire Foy as his wife Janet, with Pablo Schreiber, Kyle Chandler, Ciarán Hinds, Ethan Embry, Jason Clarke, Brian d'Arcy James, Corey Stoll, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, and Lukas Haas. I'm glad they don't spoil the Moon shots in this trailer, there's still plenty of intense footage in here. Here's the second UK trailer...

I've been a fan of Nasa ever since I was a kid. The history behind their mission to the moon has always intrigued me and now we have an incredible looking film coming that will tell that story. That film is called First Man and today we've got two new TV spots for you to watch!

The movie comes from director Damien Chazelle, who also helmed the films Whiplash and La La Land. The film tells the "riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores the triumphs and the cost—on Armstrong, his family, his colleagues and the nation itself—of one of the most dangerous missions in history."

Ryan Gosling is taking...

Damien Chazelle's First Man is a pensive character study set across the grandest achievement in space exploration.

The third act of a Damien Chazelle movie is always a pleasure to behold. Be it the agony and ecstasy of creation (a la Whiplash) or a technicolor daydream of the road not taken (La La Land), the young director has already established a pattern of using his climax to reveal the horror of achieving your dream, and that is no more literal than in the final triumphant moments of First Man, Chazelle’s biopic about Neil Armstrong that reminds moviegoers what the moon landing was: a journey into the unknown. And it’s an unknown the film both yearns for and dreads its entire running time.

As Ryan Gosling’s Armstrong views the surface of that orbiting rock—one that’s ever been on his distant horizon yet is now just...

CNN Films became the belle of the indie box office last summer thanks to a pair of unlikely popcorn-season smashes. The film arm of the cable news channel produced “Rbg,” a deep dive into the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Gibsberg, and “Three Identical Strangers,” the incredible story of triplets separated at birth. The two documentaries went on to gross $14 million and $11.5 million, respectively. Those are lofty numbers for niche movies, particularly of the non-fiction variety.

“Both movies benefited from a lot of water-cooler talk,” said Courtney Sexton, vice president of CNN Films. “There is a hunger out there for meaningful stories.”

In each instance, CNN Films partnered with outside distributors to release the films in theaters. Neon handled the rollout of “Three Identical Strangers,” while Magnolia oversaw the release of “Rbg.” The company will mount Oscar campaigns for the movies. It has already sent out screeners for...

Michael Moore never shies away from a fight.

It’s a safe bet that the documentary filmmaker will kick off this year’s Toronto Intl. Film Festival with a few choice words aimed at the 45th president. “Fahrenheit 11/9,” Moore’s latest, examines the rise of President Donald Trump and represents a rallying cry for the resistance. The festival’s decision to give Moore one of its opening night slots is a clear indication that this will be one of the most politically charged TIFFs in recent memory.

There’s “The Front Runner,” Jason Reitman’s dissection of a pre-Stormy Daniels sex crisis that derailed the presidential campaign of Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman); “Boy Erased,” a drama about gay conversion that hits at a time when one of the controversial “therapies” boosters, Vice President Mike Pence, is within a heartbeat of the Oval Office; “The Hate U Give,” a searing look...

First Man star Jason Clarke defended the film and dismissed political criticism as “nonsense,” following accusations that Damien Chazelle's chronicling of the moon landing is less than patriotic.

Clarke, who stars as the first American man to walk in space, Edward Higgins White, in the Apollo 11 story, responded to criticism surrounding the film after a tweet from Sen. Marco Rubio decrying the lack of a flag-planting scene.

“It's nonsense; it's just nonsense. The film itself can be interpreted as patriotic,” said Clarke, speaking at the Deauville Film Festival ,where he was accepting a ...

First Man star Jason Clarke defended the film and dismissed political criticism as “nonsense,” following accusations that Damien Chazelle's chronicling of the moon landing is less than patriotic.

Clarke, who stars as the first American man to walk in space, Edward Higgins White, in the Apollo 11 story, responded to criticism surrounding the film after a tweet from Sen. Marco Rubio decrying the lack of a flag-planting scene.

“It's nonsense; it's just nonsense. The film itself can be interpreted as patriotic,” said Clarke, speaking at the Deauville Film Festival ,where he was accepting a ...

Neil Armstrong’s sons and director Damien Chazelle have defended the absence of a flag-planting scene in the movie “First Man,” which details the 1969 moon landing.

Rick Armstrong and Mark Armstrong released a statement jointly with “First Man” author James R. Hansen on Friday in the wake of claims that the lack of the flag planting in the movie is unpatriotic.

“We do not feel this movie is anti-American in the slightest,” the trio said. “Quite the opposite. But don’t take our word for it. We’d encourage everyone to go see this remarkable film and see for themselves.”

“First Man” is directed by Chazelle from a script by Josh Singer, based on Hansen’s book “First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong.” The film stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong and focuses on the the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. “First Man” had...

Sparked by Ryan Gosling's comments at a Venice Film Festival press conference, and fueled by a critical tweet from Sen. Marco Rubio, a narrative emerged that awards hopeful space drama First Man was minimizing the uniquely American achievement of astronaut Neil Armstrong. More specifically, there was some concern that the Universal film depicting Nasa's Apollo 11 mission didn't properly depict the American flag planted on the Moon in 1969.

This is not so, according to Neil Armstrong's sons, who are speaking out to note that "there are numerous shots of the American flag on the moon"...

Sparked by Ryan Gosling's comments at a Venice Film Festival press conference, and fueled by a critical tweet from Sen. Marco Rubio, a narrative emerged that awards hopeful space drama First Man was minimizing the uniquely American achievement of astronaut Neil Armstrong. More specifically, there was some concern that the Universal film depicting Nasa's Apollo 11 mission didn't properly depict the American flag planted on the Moon in 1969.

This is not so, according to Neil Armstrong's sons, who are speaking out to note that "there are numerous shots of the American flag on the moon"...

Damien Chazelle’s “First Man” kicked off the Venice Film Festival on August 29, and it didn’t take long for one aspect of the movie to draw backlash. The space drama stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong and tracks the astronaut’s obsessive mission to become the first man to walk on the surface of the moon. Some critics made note of the fact “First Man” leaves out the iconic image of Armstrong planting an American flag on the moon’s surface, which, according to The Telegraph, “argues that the giant leap for mankind should not be seen as an example of American greatness.”

Gosling got ahead of the backlash during the movie’s Venice press conference, saying Chazelle’s decision to leave out the planting of the American flag was both a conscious choice and an important one in the film’s goal to commit to Armstrong’s subjectivity.

The second trailer for Damien Chazelle’s biopic on the first man on the moon, First Man has arrived with Ryan Gosling as Armstrong taking that first trip to the moon.

The biopic/”mission movie” follows Neil Armstrong, played by Gosling, as he becomes the first man to walk on the moon in 1969. Gosling teams up once again with Damien Chazelle after the pair worked together on the award-winning La La Land.

Directed by Damien Chazelle from a script written by Nicole Perlman and Josh Singer, the film is based on the book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen. The cast also consists of Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, Patrick Fugit, Christopher Abbott, Ciaran Hinds, Ethan Embry, Shea Whigham, Corey Stoll and Pablo Schreiber.

Steven Spielberg, Adam Merims and Josh Singer executive produce, while DreamWorks Pictures co-financed the film.

Also in trailers – The boys head...

Even though we’re still getting the last remnants of the summer season, on the other side of the world, the fall festival has begun. Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling’s reteam after La La Land, the Neil Armstrong biopic First Man, opened the 75th Venice Film Festival today with major praise. Timed with the debut, Universal Pictures has released the second trailer, showing much more from the space journey-meets-family drama.

Leonardo Goi said in our review, “At once cosmic and domestic, the director’s La La Land follow-up zeroes in on a man struggling for success with an unshakable, otherworldly willpower. In that, First Man is unmistakably Chazelle: Gosling’s Neil Armstrong fits nicely in the universe of career-driven, uber-determined workaholics the 33-year-old director has been following since Whiplash. But in its tragic undertones, complex psychological edifice, and claustrophobic visuals, First Man stands out, in both content and form,...

A brand new trailer for Damien Chazelle's historical drama about the iconic Apollo 11 mission has arrived. Come inside to check it out!

First Man is making it's debut this week at the Venice Film Festival, but for everyone else, we're getting a brand new trailer showcasing the drama behind the first moon landing.

This is a pretty tense, and great, trailer. What I'm enjoying the most about it, is how great a job it does of making it seem so daunting/scary. It's a piece of history now and been done plenty times since, so capturing the fear/anxiety of being the first people to land on the moon is exactly what this movie needs to keep the tension ramped up. Based off this trailer, it's succeeding.

On the heels of their six-time Academy Award®-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling...

You already know how “First Man” ends. It’s been nearly half a century since man walked on the moon, and nearly as long since space exploration was at the forefront of America’s collective imagination, which is to say that Damien Chazelle’s follow-up to “La La Land” has more challenges to contend with than it might initially appear. They’re easily overcome: “First Man” is an anti-thriller of rare intensity, with lived-in performances from Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy heightening the sky-high drama at every turn. It’s not a comprehensive look at the Apollo 11 mission, but revisits that famous story from a more intimate angle, even as it delivers a satisfying ride.

It begins with a flight sequence so intense you’ll find yourself thinking — or at least hoping — it must be some pre-mission anxiety dream, with Neil Armstrong’s (Gosling) rickety deathtrap ascending higher into...

"We need to fail down here so we don't fail up there."

When I was a kid I had dreams of being an astronaut and blasting off into space to walk on the moon. I have such a strong passion for space travel and Nasa. I always have and it's so awesome to see films like this getting made that tell the stories of the brave individuals that took us into space and to the moon.

Today we have a new trailer for you to watch for the upcoming film First Man, which comes from director Damien Chazelle, who also helmed the films Whiplash and La La Land. The film tells the "riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen,...

"What are the chances you're not coming back?" Universal has just launched the second official trialer for Damien Chazelle's highly anticipated new film, titled First Man, an intimate look at the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong leading up to his voyage on Apollo 11 and his first steps on the Moon in July of 1969. This follows the exclusive IMAX preview shown in theaters in front of Mission: Impossible this weekend. Ryan Gosling (from Chazelle's La La Land) stars as Armstrong, and the full cast includes Claire Foy as his wife Janet, with Pablo Schreiber, Kyle Chandler, Ciarán Hinds, Ethan Embry, Jason Clarke, Brian d'Arcy James, Corey Stoll, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, and Lukas Haas. The film features sequences shot on IMAX cameras, as well as scenes shot on film, mixing different camera styles. This just premiered at the Venice Film Festival to rave reviews - get ready for something remarkable.

“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” has done its job as Universal’s 2018 tentpole blockbuster, as the film reached $400 million at the domestic box office on Wednesday while also approaching $1.25 billion in worldwide grosses.

Between “Fallen Kingdom” and its 2015 predecessor, “Jurassic World” has grossed more than $1 billion domestically and $2.9 billion worldwide. The series has eclipsed “Fast & Furious” as Universal’s most profitable franchise, as the two films are also the studio’s highest grossing domestic releases of all-time, while “Fallen Kingdom” sits No. 3 on Universal’s all-time global charts behind the first “Jw” ($1.67 billion) and “Furious 7” ($1.51 billion).

Also Read: 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' Roars to $1 Billion at Global Box Office

“Fallen Kingdom” also currently sits internationally at $840 million. Only “Avengers: Infinity War” ($1.36 billion) has grossed more outside the U.S. this year. It has also outperformed the first film in China, earning $260 million.

With “Fallen Kingdom” leading the way,...

"See it. Feel it. Experience it." Universal + IMAX have launched a teaser to promote the new IMAX preview for First Man showing exclusively in theaters this weekend. Following in the footsteps of Christopher Nolan, Universal has put together a 4-minute IMAX preview available only in theaters in front of Mission: Impossible - Fallout (in IMAX). The footage is entirely from the launch sequence of Apollo 11, with Ryan Gosling starring as Neil Armstrong. The film features sequences shot on IMAX cameras, as well as scenes shot on film. The cast includes Claire Foy, Pablo Schreiber, Kyle Chandler, Ciarán Hinds, Ethan Embry, Jason Clarke, Brian d'Arcy James, Corey Stoll, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, and Lukas Haas. I've got a feeling this sequence is going to be jaw-dropping incredible and intense as all hell to watch on IMAX screens, as the explosive Apollo rocket launch was extremely powerful. Here's the...

The Venice Film Festival is celebrating its 75th year in 2018 with a star-studded lineup that includes world premieres from Damien Chazelle, Bradley Cooper, Luca Guadagnino, and Alfonso Cuarón. The festival takes place August 29 to September 8 and marks the official kickoff of the 2018 fall awards season.

As has been previously announced, Damien Chazelle will open the festival with the world premiere of “First Man.” The space race drama stars Chazelle’s “La La Land” Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong and recounts the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. The world premiere will be Chazelle’s second Venice opener after “La La Land.” Also confirmed prior to the announcement lineup was Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born,” which marks the actor’s directorial debut.

Check out the full lineup for the 2018 Venice Film Festival below. This year’s competition jury is led by Guillermo del Toro, who won the...