Damien Chazelle's
First Man, which stars
Ryan Gosling, will tell
Neil Armstrong's story on the big screen. A new
Trailer for the film has been released and it puts the focus on the sacrifices that Armstrong had to make in order to complete his historical mission to the
moon. First Man is a visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong's perspective, based on the biography by James R. Hansen. The film explores the triumphs and the cost, on the man, his family, his colleagues and the nation itself, of one of the most dangerous missions in history.
In a recent interview, Ryan Gosling discussed First Man and Neil Armstrong's impact on world history. The actor states that Armstrong was a humble man, despite his historical achievements. And while he was an American, Gosling likes to think of Armstrong's mission as a "human achievement," not just a piece of American history. As for the feel of the film, director Damien Chazelle reveals that he wanted it to look like a family documentary or a home movie more than a big blockbuster.
To get the feel of
NASA in the 1960s, Damien Chazelle tracked down a lot of the actual equipment that was used in the era to make First Man. It's that attention to detail that makes the movie stand out and feel unique. Even evident in the trailer is an authentic feel that brings Neil Armstrong's story to life. Chazelle explains.
"Whenever you hear Ryan's breathing in the
space suit, it's through a real lunar helmet, through (Apollo 16 astronaut) John Young's helmet... If you do the leg work (and) get the real things, I think it always looks and sounds better than what you would make on your own."
In addition to using James R. Hansen's source material, Neil Armstrong's sons Rick and Mark were on hand to help with the authenticity of First Man. Though Armstrong is a historical figure and legendary astronaut, Rick and Mark felt that it was important for everybody to know that to them, he was a dad. They were also extremely helpful to Claire Foy, who plays Armstrong's wife Janet, in giving her perspective of everything leading up to the dangerous moon mission, which is something that is focused on in the new trailer.
First Man opens in theaters in October 12th and marks in important turning point for Damien Chazelle in his career. The director admitted that the movie was the first time that he told a story that wasn't his, adding that he had to find ways to relate to the source material, which proved to be a worthwhile challenger for the director. Neil Armstrong's story is getting a movie that will help to explain everything that he, his family, and the nation went through to walk on the moon, something that is easily taken for granted today. You can watch the latest trailer for First Man below, thanks to the Universal Pictures YouTube account.