'Starman': Brendan Fraser to star in Mars mission thriller

Oscar winner Brendan Fraser is set to take the lead role in the cosmic science-fiction thriller Starman, which comes from Emmy-winning writer and director Josh Wakely, based on an original screenplay written by Wakely himself, News.Az reports, citing Deadline.

In Starman, Fraser will play Tom Adams, a visionary technologist described as an architect of the future. Adams launches a groundbreaking expedition to Mars, placing himself at the forefront of humanity’s next major frontier in space exploration.

However, when unexpected developments leave him stranded millions of miles away from Earth, the mission shifts dramatically into an unforeseen and urgent struggle against time.

The story is driven not only by survival, but also by love, which becomes a central motivating force in his journey.

The feature film is being produced by Grace: A Storytelling Company. Eddie Vaisman of Sight Unseen is producing; he recently produced Fraser’s Searchlight Pictures film Rental Family. Josh Wakely and Rebecca Graham of Grace are also serving as producers. Filmmaker David S. Goyer, known for Batman Begins and Batman v. Superman, will executive produce alongside Tarek Sherif, Ryan Graves, and Julia Lebedev of Sight Unseen.

Sherif and Graves are also financing the project. Production is scheduled to begin this summer.

International sales company Anton will launch worldwide sales at the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival, where it will also present exclusive details about the project.

Fraser, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Darren Aronofsky’s 2022 film The Whale, has remained highly active in film and television. Alongside Rental Family, he will next appear as President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Focus Features’ Pressure, which is set for theatrical release on May 29. He is also starring alongside Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray in Andy Garcia’s Diamond, which will have its world premiere at Cannes. Additionally, Fraser is set to reprise his iconic role in a fourth installment of The Mummy franchise, which has grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide, reuniting him with co-star Rachel Weisz.

His previous film credits include George of the Jungle, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Bedazzled, Crash, Gods and Monsters, and The Quiet American. On stage, Fraser has performed in London’s West End production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He is represented by CAA, Linden Entertainment, and Patty Felker.

Josh Wakely is the founder of Grace: A Storytelling Company. He acquired life rights to boxing legend Muhammad Ali and created and serves as an executive producer on the upcoming Amazon scripted series The Greatest. Wakely also developed and ran two original animated series for Netflix: the Emmy-winning Beat Bugs and its follow-up Motown Magic, both of which adapted music catalogs from The Beatles and Motown respectively. He is represented by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Hansen Jacobson.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev