Director Greg Berlanti did not intend for his new romantic comedy “Fly Me to the Moon” to have a theatrical release.
“It initially went straight to streaming,” Berlanti said, speaking Thursday at a screening for family and friends of the Columbia Footage and Apple Authentic Movies film at the San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood. “But then we delivered the cut and started testing it. We tested it in Denver and it went very well. We tested this in California and Texas. Each time it was a very powerful response from the main target group and a test that this was a theatrical film.
A retelling of the historical past of man’s first trip to the moon, the film stars Channing Tatum as Cole Davis, a former Navy pilot in command of the Apollo 11 launch. Scarlett Johansson co-stars as Kelly Jones, a New York government prosecutor who is hired by the White House to market the space program to politicians and the American public.
“The other thing that test viewers also mentioned was the expectation of seeing a different film. They were very grateful for something unique,” says Berlanti. “Although it is clearly historical fiction, there is a unique story involved in this. They didn’t know what was going to happen in the film and it was very fresh for them.”
Johansson was creating the film with author Rose Gilroy when she asked Berlanti to direct after her plans to remake “Little Shop of Horrors” fell through. “They sent me the script and I was home sick with COVID,” Berlanti recalls. “I read the script and said, ‘Maybe it’s COVID, but I really like it.’ Then I learn once again.”
Johansson and Tatum didn’t have a chemistry figured out before the “21 Bounce Avenue” actor signed on. “They both might have chemistry off the wall, but you don’t know until you have them together,” Berlanti says. “However, I knew from the second the read-through was happening that it was immediate and I knew I just wanted and needed to keep watching them. They have that thing.”
Rounding out the cast are Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Jim Hash and Anna Garcia.
The film was shot in Georgia, in addition to the NASA campus in Florida, for about six days.
A black cat can be featured in the film, becoming an essential element until the end. Three cats were used for the role. “I’m allergic to cats,” says Berlanti. “After I read the script, I thought, ‘What am I going to do?’ So I just stayed away from them until I needed to direct them, and I wore a mask anyway because it was COVID. When we started, I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be the hardest part of making the movie. I’ve ever worked with, these cats were the cleanest and easiest to care for.”
“Fly Me to the Moon” opens in theaters on July 12.
See images from the specific display below.
Sarah Schechter, Greg Berlanti, Jim Rash and Anna Garcia.
Getty Photos for Apple TV+
Lucas Gage and Alex Edelman.
Getty Images for Apple TV+
Nina Dobrev and Sara Foster.
Getty Photos for Apple TV+
Cole Sprouse and Ari Fournier.
Getty Photographs for Apple TV+
Getty Photos for Apple TV+
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