The Martian (film)
A stranded astronaut fights to survive on Mars.
The Martian is a 2015 science fiction survival film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Drew Goddard, based on Andy Weir's 2011 novel. Distributed by 20th Century Fox, the film stars Matt Damon as astronaut Mark Watney, who struggles to survive on Mars after being left behind, while NASA works to bring him home. The film was a critical and commercial success, becoming the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2015 and Scott's highest-grossing film to date.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Producer
- Simon Kinberg / Ridley Scott / Michael Schaefer / Mark Huffam / Aditya Sood
- Screenplay
- Drew Goddard
- Based On
- The Martian · Andy Weir
- Starring
- Matt Damon / Jessica Chastain / Kristen Wiig / Jeff Daniels / Michael Peña / Kate Mara / Sean Bean / Sebastian Stan / Aksel Hennie / Chiwetel Ejiofor
- Music
- Harry Gregson-Williams
- Cinematography
- Dariusz Wolski
- Editing
- Pietro Scalia
- Production Companies
- 20th Century Fox / Scott Free Productions / Kinberg Genre / Mid Atlantic Films / International Traders
- Distributor
- 20th Century Fox
- Released
- 11 September 2015 · TIFF · 2015 · 9 · 30 · United Kingdom · 2015 · 10 · 02 · United States
- Runtime
- 142 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film depicts the Ares III mission to Mars in 2035. During a severe dust storm, astronaut Mark Watney is struck by debris and presumed dead; his crew evacuates, leaving him behind. Watney awakens and uses his skills as a botanist to cultivate potatoes in the habitat, creates water from rocket fuel, and modifies a rover for a journey to the Ares IV landing site. NASA eventually reestablishes contact via the Pathfinder probe, and a complex rescue plan unfolds involving a slingshot maneuver around Earth.
Reader's Guide
The Martian was praised for its scientific realism and Damon's performance, earning seven Academy Award nominations. It was named one of the top ten films of 2015 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. The film's production involved building twenty sets on one of the largest sound stages in Budapest, Hungary, and filming in Wadi Rum, Jordan. The casting drew criticism from the Media Action Network for Asian-Americans for whitewashing, though author Andy Weir defended the choices, noting he intentionally avoided physical descriptions in his novel.
Did You Know?
- The film was shot over about 70 days on a $108 million budget.
- Twenty sets were built on one of the largest sound stages in the world in Budapest, Hungary.
- The Media Action Network for Asian-Americans criticized the casting of Mackenzie Davis as Mindy Park, whom author Andy Weir said he perceived as Korean but did not explicitly write as such.
- Naomi Scott was cast and filmed as Ryoko, but her scenes were removed from the final cut.
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