After serving up our first look at Matt Damon in costume as wayward astronaut Mark Watney, 20th Century Fox has unveiled the maiden trailer for Ridley Scott’s upcoming sci-fi film, The Martian.
Lifted from the pages of Andy Weir’s eponymous best-seller, the story finds the crew of the Ares 3 caught up in a devastating storm on the red planet. Forced to uproot and abandon their mission, the NASA experts soon retreat back toward earth and relative safety, losing Damon’s aforementioned botanist in the process. However, as it turns out, our protagonist managed to survive the disastrous event, and must channel his MacGyver-esque qualities to find a means of contacting help.
Showcasing some stunning visuals, our first look at The Martian leaves us feeling very confident in what could be Scott’s first Oscar hopeful in some time. Plus, with a star-studded cast alongside Damon for the space-faring adventure – one that includes Jessica Chastain, Michael Peña, Naomi Scott, Kristin Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Donald Glover, Kate Mara, Aksel Hennie, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sebastian Stan – we’re cautiously optimistic about the director returning to a genre he helped define.
The Martian will enter earth’s orbit in time for its theaterical release on November 25 in North America, while UK cinemas will receive the sci-fi film a couple of days later on November 27.
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return.