The perils of space exploration will get a philosophical twist in Stowaway.
The upcoming film follows the crew of a manned mission to Mars as they unexpectedly find
their ranks increased by one when a launch support engineer is found trapped in a storage
compartment.
At first, the trio of scientists attempt to welcome their accidental hitchhiker.
However, once it's clear that they only have enough air for three people, they'll all have
some difficult decisions to make about what they may need to do to survive.
"Everyone on board will suffocate before we ever make it to Mars."
In addition to boasting thrilling action sequences and a tense atmosphere, Stowaway also presents
some compelling questions about humanity and the true meaning of survival.
Here's a look at what else you should know about Stowaway before the film arrives.
Stowaway is directed by Joe Penna from a script he co-wrote with Ryan Morrison.
The two previously collaborated on the chilling 2018 survival drama Arctic, which featured
Mads Mikkelsen as a man stranded in the snowy wilderness after his plane crashes and who
must make several life-or-death decisions in pursuit of rescue.
The pair revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that they first wrote Arctic as a film set
on Mars, but due to budget constraints, they reworked the pic so that it could be filmed
in Iceland instead.
After that film proved the duo's immense movie-making talents, they returned to space for Stowaway.
It should come as no surprise, then, that there are some common threads to be found
running between the stories in Arctic and Stowaway, even though they're literally worlds
apart.
Morrison teased to THR:
"The setting is different but, like Arctic, Stowaway is a man-versus-nature story.
Both of our films have nature as the bad guy.
That's the kind of story we want to tell."
Audiences can also look forward to some nifty new space techniques in the film.
Stowaway was filmed in the summer of 2019, and Penna said he came up with some new ways
to create the appearance of weightlessness in space, which was important because the
characters will endure several stages of gravity shifts as the film progresses.
The cast of Stowaway is small but stellar.
Star ring as the titular stowaway Michael is Shamier Anderson, who TV fans might know
for his roles as Agent Dolls in Wynonna Earp, brothers Anton and Dario Blackwood in Goliath,
and as Trevor King in Dear White People.
Meanwhile, the ship's commander is portrayed by the one and only Toni Collette, who's been
captivating film and television audiences for decades.
Some of her most celebrated work coming into this film includes her Golden Globe-nominated
roles as Muriel in Muriel's Wedding and as Sheryl in Little Miss Sunshine, her Oscar-nominated
turn as Lynn Sear in The Sixth Sense, her Emmy-winning role in United States of Tara,
and her Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated role as Detective Grace Rasmussen in Unbelievable.
"I love it.
Ha!"
Most recently, Collette has proven to be a lucky charm for genre-redefining films, as
with her unforgettable performance in the instantly classic horror film Hereditary and
her standout work in movies like Velvet Buzzsaw, Knives Out, and I'm Thinking of Ending Things.
"Um, so Jake tells me you're studying quantum psychics at the university."
"Yes."
"Physics."
"Really."
"Yeah."
Daniel Dae Kim also stars in Stowaway as David Kim, the biologist of the beleaguered ship, and
he's another actor who's been entertaining fans for years.
TV lovers will no doubt know Kim for his roles as Jin-Soo Kwon in Lost and as Chin Ho Kelly
in Hawaii Five-0, along with his memorable guest roles in hit shows like 24.
Kim has also made a splash in films like Insurgent, Hellboy, and Always Be My Maybe.
"What a great cause, huh?"
Last but not least, Anna Kendrick has steadily become one of the most important actresses
of her generation.
Kendrick first broke into the big time thanks to her role as Jessica Stanley in the Twilight
Saga film series, and she quickly won critical acclaim - including Oscar and Golden Globe
nominations - for her supporting role as Natalie Keener in Up in the Air.
Kendrick then became something of a pop culture phenomenon thanks to her starring role as
Beca in the Pitch Perfect films.
Recently, Kendrick impressed critics with her role in the romantic comedy show Love
Life and earned an Emmy nomination for her performance in the short-form comedy series
Dummy.
Put simply, Stowaway boasts a quartet of stars at the top of their game and a pair of creative
filmmakers who are willing to brave the depths of the unknown to find certain truths about
the world around us.
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