Space Voyage: An Optimistic Perspective on Cosmic Journeys (Ad Astra)

In the vast expanse of space, "Ad Astra" takes viewers on a compelling journey, centered around the character of Roy McBride, played by Brad Pitt. Roy is a reflection of individuals who are journeying towards an unknown destination, grappling with an emptiness or void in their lives.

The film's themes revolve around vulnerability and strength, aspects that Pitt found central to the narrative. Alongside Pitt, key actors include Tommy Lee Jones as Roy's father, Clifford McBride, Liv Tyler as Eve, Ruth Negga as Helen Lantos, Donald Sutherland as Thomas Pruitt, Kimberly Elise as Lorraine Deavers, Loren Dean as Donald Stanford, and Donnie Keshawarz as Captain Lawrence Tanner.

The story unfolds as Roy embarks on a mission to find his father near Neptune, a quest that intertwines with threats to Earth caused by electromagnetic storms linked to his father's lost expedition. James Gray, the film's director, created the character of Col. Pruitt to provide Roy with insights into Clifford's true nature and intentions.

Pruitt serves as a representation of a human connection that Roy has learned to live without. Gray, who grew up in Queens and attended the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television, aimed to create a character on a transformative journey, similar to the Homeric Odyssey and the movie Apocalypse Now.

"Ad Astra" had a long gestation period, with Gray and co-writer Ethan Gross working on the script off-and-on over the years. Rodrigo Teixeira's RT Features stepped in to develop the script in 2016, and Brad Pitt agreed to star and produce the film.

Roy's psychological state is closely monitored throughout his assignment, as the risk to his mental health is greater than his physical health. Roy forms a bond with Helen Lantos, which leads to acts of desperation and her helping him board The Cepheus to Neptune. Helen, who has spent her entire life on Mars, marks a turning point for Roy.

Gray found inspiration for the film from Nobel Prize-winning physicist Enrico Fermi's belief that there was a 90% chance the southwestern United States would be destroyed when they split the atom for the first time. Gray wanted to explore the idea that as human beings, we're not really meant to be in space and that space travel has both beautiful and horrifying aspects.

Gray made his directorial debut in 1994 with the film Little Odessa, which received critical acclaim. His writing partner for Ad Astra, Ethan Gross, is a fellow classmate at USC film school and has worked on screenplays for directors such as Guy Ritchie and Todd Field.

"Ad Astra" is a film about an elite astronaut who travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of the planet. It's a thought-provoking exploration of humanity's place in the cosmos, presented in a style that is as captivating as it is emotionally resonant.