‘The Martian': First Image of Matt Damon in Ridley Scott’s New Film

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Two of the principal players in the upcoming The Martian – director Ridley Scott and star Matt Damon – are arguably at a point in their careers where they need a comeback project to reaffirm why they’re bona fide Hollywood A-listers. The former is coming off divisive films like Prometheus and The Counselor, while the latter has struggled to maintain box office consistency post-Bourne Ultimatum. With all that in mind, some may choose to view The Martian with caution, but there are signs that this might be the movie that reverses their fortunes.
Not only is the source material (a book by Andy Weir) very well-received, the screenplay comes from Drew Goddard (Daredevil, Cabin in the Woods) who is on a hot streak lately and deserves some benefit of the doubt. In addition, the film’s panel presentation at this year’s CinemaCon was considered a success, with many coming away impressed with what Scott had achieved. As the general public awaits the first trailer to see what the hype is all about, marketing is getting revved up with the first image of Damon as protagonist Mark Watney.

From The Web

The picture was revealed by the website Entradanumerada.com (via The Playlist) and appears to be a magazine scan of some kind. It doesn’t reveal much, but it’s still nice to see something from one of our most anticipated movies of the year.
[h=2]Click to See Matt Damon in ‘The Martian’[/h]

Without much to go by, it’s safe to assume that the image is from a scene in the movie’s second act, after Watney’s plight has been established. For those not in the know, The Martian follows Watney, an astronaut who is accidentally abandoned by his crew on Mars (after they think he is dead), forcing him to find a way to survive (with no way to signal Earth for help). Based on Damon’s forlorn expression in the photo, he seems to be contemplating life on Mars long-term and if there’s anything he can do to save himself.We also get a taste of Scott’s red planet, with mountains visible in the background and in a reflection on Damon’s helmet. It’s hard to determine the size of the mountains and the overall landscape of the filmmaker’s take on Mars, but if Scott’s history with jaw-dropping visuals is anything to go by, The Martian should be a wondrous film to look at, if nothing else. Science fiction is the genre Scott is perhaps best known for, and he’s always been successful in crafting immersive, interesting worlds for moviegoers to explore.As far as the fall movie season is concerned, The Martian is definitely a wild card. “A Ridley Scott film” is not a credit that carries much clout with modern audiences, as the director’s last couple of outings have been box office bombs as well as critical disappointments. Even with a stellar cast that includes the likes of Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, and Sean Bean, nothing is guaranteed – especially since the film will have a massive showdown against projects like Rocky spinoff Creed and Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur (among others) as it opens over the Thanksgiving weekend. The buzz will have to be very positive for it to emerge as a hit.And right now, there’s certainly reason to be optimistic about its ultimate fate. The talent behind The Martian is more than capable of making a memorable movie, and sci-fi remains one of the most enduring genres in film. As the old saying goes, a great trailer can have a powerful effect in forming a consensus about a movie during its pre-release phase. If the teaser trailer is as powerful as the CinemaCon footage apparently was, then we could have a winner on our hands.With a strong book to base their movie on and a great set of actors at their disposal, we’d have to think that Scott and Goddard were successful in delivering something worthwhile, especially if Fox is confident enough in it to put it out during a crowded holiday frame. We’ll just have to wait and see.​

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The Martian will be in theaters November 25, 2015.Source: The Playlist​

 

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[h=1]New ‘The Martian’ Images; Jessica Chastain On Preparing to Play an Astronaut[/h]

Jessica Chastain and Matt Damon both appeared in filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s outer space adventure Interstellar in 2014, though the pair didn’t share any actual screen time. The two will have a couple scenes together in director Ridley Scott’s The Martian, by the sound of it – though not too many, since Damon will be alone and stranded on the red planet surface for a large chunk of the movie.
The Martian is based on the novel of the same name (written by Andy Weir) and stars Damon as Mark Watney, an astronaut who is serving as part of a mission to Mars when a storm hits and he winds up separated from his crew – and, eventually, left by himself on the planet after being presumed dead by his fellow space explorers.

From The Web

Scott’s latest project is rounded out by quite the impressive supporting cast; in addition to Chastain, the roster includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Mara, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Donald Glover, Sean Bean, and Michael Peña, among others. Again, though, much of the film’s running time will feature Damon isolated and struggling to stay alive under less than accommodating circumstances; as Scott told People, “frankly he’s got 28 days to live – and that’s if everything goes well for him.” The story of The Martian has been compared to such ‘man vs. nature’ narratives as Robinson Crusoe and Castaway in the past, for related reasons.
Similarly, most of the Martian images released thus far have depicted Damon, alone on Mars. That’s mostly the theme with the latest batch of official screenshots from Scott’s film, which you can peruse through below (via People and EW):

Most of these Martian stills show Damon’s astronaut in varying emotional states – be he staring forlornly at the Martian sand, excitedly checking over local flora and plant forms, or sitting around and seemingly depressed after being alone for some time (judging by the facial hair he’s accrued). The exception to that rule is the last image, which instead takes place on Earth and introduces Wiig’s NASA spokeswoman character – one of several people who work for the space exploration program in Scott’s film, along with those portrayed by Daniels (mission control) and Chastain (another astronaut).
Chastain spoke with People about the research she did for her role in The Martian, having said that she “jumped at the chance” to play a space explorer after seeing how much fun her Interstellar costars had pretending to be astronauts (while she played an Earth-bound scientist). The Oscar-nominee therefore spent time at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, where she got to visit Mars… by way of virtual reality representation:

“I got to see all the maps of Mars, and participate in an 3D virtual reality perspective. It was incredible, as soon as I put the glasses on, I felt like I was really there on Mars. Whether I looked left or right, it felt like I was there with actual images all around me. It was a fantastic way to imagine what it would be like to be on that planet.”
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Jessica Chastain in ‘Interstellar’

Scott’s recent directorial efforts have wrestled with issues like human arrogance and humanity’s place in the grand scheme of things (Prometheus, Exodus: Gods and Kings), as well as what are perhaps more relatable yet equally heavy themes about mortality and how much control people have over their destinies (The Counselor). The Martian touches upon similar matters with its intimate tale of survival, so it’s not so surprising that the project attracted the filmmaker’s interest.
The Cabin in the Woods co-writer/director and Daredevil Netflix series creator Drew Goddard penned the adapted script for The Martian. That suggests the movie’s screenplay may well be stronger than those recently brought to life with Scott’s trademark gorgeous visuals and lavishing production design (to mention nothing of the film’s accomplished cast).
20th Century Fox certainly appears to be confident in the final product, seeing as Scott’s movie has been scheduled for theatrical release during the busy 2015 Thanksgiving holiday frame. Of course, in the past that same period was where other director-driven big-budget features were released, on their way to becoming critical darlings – and much more (see: Hugo, Life of Pi). Will The Martian follow in their footsteps?

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The Martian is currently scheduled to open in U.S. theaters on November 25th, 2015.
Source: People, EW

 

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The Martian (2015) Viral - Ares 3 Farewell - Trailer Addict

 

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[h=1]‘The Martian’ and ‘Victor Frankenstein’ Exchange Release Dates[/h]

Director Ridley Scott return to outer space this year with the “science-fiction lite” film The Martian, starring Matt Damon and based on the popular novel by Andy Weir. Scott’s last couple of directorial efforts have disappointed both critically and commercially, but already Martian is showing signs that it could serve as a return to form (on both fronts) for the filmmaker, with its marketing off to a strong start after a well-received viral teaser and theatrical trailer to boot.
20th Century Fox had previously positioned The Martian to open in theaters over the highly-competitive 2015 Thanksgiving holiday frame, but following the trailer reception (more on that shortly) the studio appears to have recognized the film has greater potential than it originally anticipated. Hence, Fox has shifted Scott’s movie forward to the proceeding month, while replacing it in November with Victor Frankenstein, a fresh re-imagining of Mary Shelley’s sci-fi/horror classic that has gone through more than one release date change-up already.

From The Web

Deadline picked up the news, reporting that The Martian will now open in U.S. theaters on October 2nd, 2015. That means Scott’s film (penned for the screen by Cabin In the Woods co-writer/director and Daredevil TV series creator Drew Goddard) will be arriving close to exactly two years after Alfonso Cuarón’s own space survival adventure, Gravity, hit the scene on its way to becoming a multi-Oscar winning box office smash. It’s a bit much to think history could repeat itself, but The Martian is certainly earning its fair share of attention right now (its theatrical trailer has gotten over eight million views on the official Fox Youtube channel alone, by this point).
The Martian will have competition during its opening weekend from Robert Zemeckis’ 3D drama/thriller The Walk and the action movie sequel London Has Fallen, both of which (like Martian) are geared more towards an adult audience. However, there’s not per se that much direct overlap between these films’ target demographics (given their distinct differences in genre), and of the three it’s Scott’s movie that currently appears to be positioned to make a big splash at the box office.

Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy on the ‘Victor Frankenstein’ set

Victor Frankenstein, meanwhile, is now due to hit the scene on November 25th, 2015, where the film will face-off with Pixar Animation’s The Good Dinosaur, Warner Bros. Rocky franchise sequel/spinoff Creed, and Warm Bodies director Jonathan Levine’s currently-untitled Christmas comedy (starring Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Fox’s new Frankenstein movie could well manage to carve out some room for itself within that film pack, but it’ll be tricky given that the vast majority of the market will be cornered by the competition.
It’s plausible that Victor Frankenstein will attract those intrigued by this new spin on the story of Dr. Frankenstein (starring James McAvoy in the title role and Daniel Radcliffe as Igor), from screenwriter Max Landis (Chronicle) and directed by Paul McGuigan (a key member of Sherlock‘s director circle). However, the film doesn’t have a whole lot of good or bad buzz right now, so it’s difficult to judge how things might play out. The multiple release dates changes (Victor Frankenstein was once slated to open in Fall 2014) don’t bode so well, admittedly.

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The Martian opens in U.S. theaters on October 2nd, 2015. Victor Frankenstein will arrive on November 25th, 2015.
Source: Deadline

 

[DeViiL]

story looks good and I love Matt Damon, waitingggggggggggggggggggg

 

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[h=1]Matt Damon & Jessica Chastain Discuss ‘The Martian’[/h]

The space exploration featured in films like Gravity and Interstellar isn’t entirely accurate or scientific, but they are films that at least attempt to frame their stories within our understanding of how humans can actually live or travel in space.
The Martian takes that idea one step further, telling the story of stranded astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) trying to survive on Mars until his crew can return for him. And while the story is obviously fiction (based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir), The Martian is inspired by the technology used today that allows humans to live in space. As Damon proclaims in the trailer, they’ve “science[d] the s–t out of this!”


Adding to The Martian‘s sense of realism is director Ridley Scott’s preference for shooting on desert locations or in hangars full of blowing red sand to replicate the Martian landscape, instead of relying on green screen and CGI.
While he was filming in just such a hangar, Yahoo spoke with Damon about how The Martian combines the thrill of a space adventure with the perils of a film about a stranded survivor:

“That’s the big challenge. It has all the bells and whistles of NASA and the b-side of the story, the rest of the world trying to get this guy back. But the other half of the movie is me and Ridley on Mars, so that part’s different. You start there, there’s that mystery – what happened, how did he get left there? The mission part is the b-side, trying to figure out how to get back. So, structurally it’s different to anyone that’s ever been done.”
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Yahoo also spoke with Jessica Chastain (she plays Watney’s commander, Melissa Lewis), who explained just how much of the film rests solely on Damon, whose character in the book is totally alone for much of the story:

“The book is great, it created an amazing character who’s such a problem solver. He has such a great sense of humour that you root for him. It has a similar character to other films we’ve loved, like Sandra Bullock in Gravity, like Tom Hanks in Castaway. It’s a character that’s lost at sea somewhere and is trying to find their way back home. I think we can all imagine being lost somewhere and trying to get back, we can all relate to that.”
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The Martian obviously isn’t the first movie to focus on one character adrift in space. Duncan Jones’ Moon starring Sam Rockwell as an isolated astronaut stationed on the Moon, comes to mind. But The Martian does add in that survival factor since, unlike a space station, the surface of Mars is not all hospitable to human life.
The Martian also stars Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie and Michael Peña as the rest of Watney’s crewmates. Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sean Bean round out the remainder of the cast back on Earth. The film release in theaters on November 25, 2015.
Source: Yahoo

 

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[h=1]Matt Damon is Stranded in New Images From Ridley Scott’s ‘The Martian’[/h]

The Martian is the latest sci-fi film from British director Ridley Scott (of Alien and Blade Runner fame), and is based on the the bestselling novel from by Andy Weir about a NASA astronaut (played in the film by Matt Damon) who becomes stranded on Mars when a dust storm separates him from the rest of his crew. Based on what we’ve already heard from Damon and co-star Jessica Chastain, in addition to what we’ve seen from the first trailer, Scott’s latest could prove to be not only a thrilling space adventure but a captivating tale of survival.
We’ve already seen some pictures from the set, and more images are emerging in preparation for the film’s October 2015 release, with Total Film magazine being the latest publication to feature a look at the latest genre blockbuster hopeful.


Courtesy of Games Radar, the latest images from Scott’s outer space drama feature Damon alone on the orange sands of Mars (above), hopelessly alone amid an arid landscape, and trapped in the dust storm with two members of his team in tow (below). Additionally, subscribers to Total Film magazine will have access to exclusive concept art from Scott himself, both of which feature actor Damon in character as NASA astronaut Mark Watney (below).
The Martian co-stars Chastain, Kate Mara, Michael Peña, and Aksel Hennie as Damon’s fellow interstellar cosmonauts, with actors Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Sean Bean making up the Houston ground team tasked with establishing a rescue operation in order to retrieve the stranded Mark Watney. Following the example set by Weir, the film is determined to use only real science, with zero room for movie cheats, making for a veritable Robinson Crusoe-like adventure in space with plenty of Scott’s established eye for cinematic grandiosity.

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The new images are decidedly impressive, and look to convey more of what we’ve already seen so far, while highlighting the visual aspects of the story that Scott wants to tell. Coming after the critically divisive Prometheus, The Martian looks to be a breath of fresh air after what many felt was an unsuccessful attempt to return to the film genre that made Scott famous in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Damon will need more than some pretty set pieces and stunning cinematography to get his character out of the bind he finds himself in, but until Scott’s film is finally released we’ll just have to wait and see how this latest sci-fi drama holds up under critical and viewer reception later this fall.


The Martian opens in U.S. theaters on October 2nd, 2015.
Source: Total Film (via Games Radar)

 

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The Martian (2015) Viral - Ares 3 Interview - Trailer Addict

 

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The Martian (2015) International Trailer - Trailer Addict

The Martian (2015) Theatrical Trailer - Trailer Addict

 

[Lord AvaLon]

With the same cast and environment, it seems like a prequel of Interstellar. For good I hope.

 

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[h=1]The Martian Character Guide Includes New Images and Character Details[/h]

Ridley Scott’s upcoming adaptation of Andy Weir’s science fiction novel The Martian tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon), who is stranded on Mars after the crew of the Ares 3 mission is forced to evacuate the planet. The first trailers for The Martian have depicted the sci-fi survival story of Watney that is interwoven with his team and NASA’s attempts to bring him home.
The marketing for The Martian has also included a handful of viral clips that have featured scientist Neil Degrasse Tyson introducing the Ares 3 mission as well as the crew dealing with a 10-day exercise of enduring isolation. The earliest viral teaser introduced viewers to Watney and his fellow crew members, and now a new Mission Guide adds additional character details for those of the Ares 3.

Spoiler: show

20th Century Fox has now released The Complete Mission Guide for the Ares 3, which offers biographical information about the team as well as their roles on the mission. Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) is the team’s geologist; Major Rick Martinez (Michael Peña) is the pilot; Watney’s specialties are botany and mechanical engineering; Dr. Christopher Beck (Sebastian Stan) is the mission’s flight surgeon; Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie) specializes in chemistry, navigation systems and astrophysics; and Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara) is the mission’s Systems Operator and Reactor Technician.
Additionally, the Ares 3 Organizational Chart introduces the ground team of NASA that includes the organization’s director Theodore Sanders (Jeff Daniels), Director of Mars Missions Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Hermes Flight Director Mitch Henderson (Sean Bean) and Director of Media Relations Annie Montrose (Kristen Wiig). Other pages of the guide offer details about the Hab, the structure Watney will need to survive in on Mars, as well as the crew’s vehicles.
Take a look at select pages from the guide:










As evidenced by the Mission Guide, The Martian boasts an extremely talented cast both on the Ares 3 mission as well as the NASA team on the ground. Based on the well-received novel by Weir, Drew Goddard (Daredevil, The Cabin in the Woods) tackled the film script that was directed by Scott. Although Scott found success early in his career with Alien and Blade Runner, the filmmaker hasn’t seen the same kind of acclaim for his recent projects, such as Exodus: Gods and Kings.
However, with Scott’s stunning visuals, Goddard’s knack for bringing characters to life, and the talent of the film’s cast, The Martian has become one of the most anticipated films of the fall. Add in the largely positive early reviews that laud Damon’s performance and the film’s light-hearted take on survival, and The Martian could be a worthy contender for this year’s awards season – not to mention an entertaining trip to the theater.
[h=2]Next: The Martian Behind-the-Scenes Footage[/h]The Martian opens October 2nd, 2015
Source: 20th Century Fox [via CBM]