"First Man" took the stage at CinemaCon Wednesday when Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy gave theater owners the first look at footage of the Neil Armstrong biopic.
Set to be released Oct. 12, just in time for awards season, the film’s director Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”) appeared with actors Gosling and Foy to showcase it.
“First Man” covers Armstrong’s NASA service between 1961 and 1969 as the race to put a man on the moon heated up, and does it in visceral, first-person fashion, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Featured are the sacrifices and cost of the dangerous missions to Armstrong and the nation, including a scene where Armstrong has to explain to his children the dangers of the mission and that he might not make it back.
Gosling called the Apollo 11 mission “the most astonishing journey in history,” THR reported.
Foy, who plays Armstrong’s first wife Janet, said it was hard to believe there hadn’t been another movie about the moon landing, which led director Chazelle to joke, “Which I was glad about because I got to be the one to make it.”
Foy said the film was also about the “unsung heroes who gave their support to this almost impossible voyage,” THR reported.
Chazelle and Gosling paired up for Oscar winner "La La Land," and "First Man" may be a serious contender for further Oscar recognition, with Variety predicting both Gosling and Foy could be up for awards honoring their performances.
The film is based on the book of the same name by James R. Hansen.
Twitter reacted strongly to the presentation.