First Movie in Space: Russia Racing to Beat Tom Cruise and NASA Movie As It Starts to Cast Stars

One of NASA's moves in commercializing space stations is accepting tourists and shooting the very first movie in space that will star Tom Cruise and directed by Doug Liman, Science Times previously reported.

But just like the many "dramatic firsts" in the space race, Russia figures that it might be good to have another one. Like the US, they are also planning to shoot a movie in outer space that will hopefully beat Tom Cruise and NASA's movie to be the first film shot in space.

First Movie Shot In Space

Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, announced on May 13 that it had selected the crew to lead their film called "Challenge" that will be shot in outer space.

According to NBC News, They have selected actress Yulia Pereslid, 36, as the main character of the movie that will be directed by Klim Shepenko, 37.

Space race, vol. 2? Russian space agency @roscosmos has announced that actress Yulia Peresild will star in the first movie to be shot outside the earth, on board the #ISS in October. Last year, @NASA said it was planning to shoot a movie in space with Tom Cruise. pic.twitter.com/UGJ7aP3FDo
— DW Culture (@dw_culture) May 14, 2021

Pereslid is a well-known actress in Russia that has starred in many films. In a shot for international stardom, she has beaten hundreds of people who auditioned for the role.

She and other crew will undergo standard cosmonaut training before their departure to the orbiting International Space Station (ISS) aboard the launch of the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft.

Among the tests that Pereslid and the crew will undergo are the centrifuge tests, vibration stand tests, performing introductory and training flights on a zero-gravity plane, and parachute training, the news outlet reported.

ALSO READ: Space Race: China to Launch New Space Station; Trains Astronauts for Crewed Flights

Russia's Space Movie Plot

Russia's space drama is the project by Roscosmos director Dmitry Rogozin. But until now, little is known about its plot as the space agency has not announced any further details about it except for casting Pereslid and the movie's director.

According to CNN, there is no exact date yet as to when the movie will be released. It will be developed in collaboration with the Russian space agency, broadcaster Channel One, and studio Yellow, Black, and White.

Konstantin Ernst, the head of Russia's Channel One said that the film will a science fiction that will realistically depict near-term space travel.

During an interview in September 2020, Ernst said that the movie is about a person that is in no way connected with space exploration but somehow finds herself a month later in orbit, Yahoo! News reported.

The casting call was announced in November 2020, announcing that they are looking for a female actor between the age of 25 and 40 who weighs around 110-155 pounds (50 to 70 kilograms) who could pass the fitness tests required.