On March 7, Russian filmmakers unveiled the trailer for “The Challenge,” the first feature film shot in space in 2021.
The trailer reveals the plot of the film, in which a surgeon, played by Russian actress Yulia Peresild, must perform heart surgery on an astronaut in space who cannot return to Earth for treatment. The character of the patient is portrayed by astronaut Oleg Novitskiy himself.
Yulia Peresild, Anton Shkaplerov, and Klim Shipenko (left to right) in astronaut costumes. (Photo: iStock).
Produced by Yellow, Black and White and Channel One Russia in collaboration with the Russian space agency Roscosmos, the film aims to popularize space activities and honor the work of astronauts. Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, serves as a producer for “The Challenge.”
Peresild and director Klim Shipenko traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) at an altitude of 400 km above Earth alongside astronaut Anton Shkaplerov in October 2021, filming for 12 days. Peresild was selected for the lead role after Roscosmos announced a casting call in November 2020. In addition to providing recordings, the actors also underwent medical, physical, and psychological tests to ensure they could meet the demands of space travel.
Just a few months after filming on the ISS concluded, the war in Ukraine broke out, and in July 2022, Russia announced plans to withdraw from the spacecraft it co-operated with NASA after 2024. Although “The Challenge” is the first feature film shot in space, it is not the first project filmed on the ISS. Previous films include a documentary led by Tom Cruise in 2002 and an 8-minute science fiction film shot by businessman Richard Garriott in 2012. Cruise and director Doug Liman also hoped to claim the title of the first feature film shot in space when they revealed they were working on a project with NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX in 2020.
The film “The Challenge” is set to premiere on April 12. “The Challenge” had a budget of $14.69 million, while Cruise’s film reportedly cost $200 million.
Trailer for the film The Challenge.
