With their first collaboration, Hollywood-set musical romance “La La Land,” about to hit UK cinemas when British audiences can see if all the reviews that claim it’s Oscar material are true, Ryan Gosling and director Damien Chazelle are already getting busy on their second: a biopic of the first man to set foot on the Moon, Neil Armstrong.
The film’s title will be ‘First Man’
The Gosling-starring biopic of the famed astronaut will be called “First Man,” not only to reflect Armstrong’s greatest achievement, but also so it can share its title with the book upon which it’s based.
“First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong” is biography published in the UK by Simon & Schuster and written by James Hansen, and has been adapted into a screenplay for this Film by Josh Singer, one of the writers of this year’s Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay winner “Spotlight.”
The biography chronicles the early life of Armstrong, such as his experiences as Navy bomber pilot as well as a test pilot. Pushing the limits of the skies should give Gosling plenty to work from in order to earn him at least a Best Actor nomination. The film will show Armstrong’s rise through NASA before being appointed the leader of the Apollo 11 mission that eventually made him the first man on the Moon and something of a celebrity.
Chazelle became attached after ‘Whiplash’
The film is being set up at Universal Pictures. Chazelle joined the project as director after his debut feature “Whiplash” was released to massive success, critical acclaim, and a bunch of Oscar nominations. He claims Gosling has always been his first choice for the role of Armstrong.
He has only recently signed on in an official capacity, as back then he was busy with “The Nice Guys,” “The Big Short,” and his upcoming “Blade Runner” sequel with Harrison Ford, plus the script was not yet complete and so they weren’t yet ready to make a formal offer to Gosling’s people.
Now that Gosling is free to take on new work and everything has come together, the deals have been signed and “First Man” is scheduled to begin shooting sometime during 2017.
