Ridley Scott's upcoming adaptation of Andy Weir's science fiction novel The Martian tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon), who is stranded on Mars after the crew of the Ares 3 mission is forced to evacuate the planet. The first trailers for The Martian have depicted the sci-fi survival story of Watney that is interwoven with his team and NASA's attempts to bring him home.
The marketing for The Martian has also included a handful of viral clips that have featured scientist Neil Degrasse Tyson introducing the Ares 3 mission as well as the crew dealing with a 10-day exercise of enduring isolation. The earliest viral teaser introduced viewers to Watney and his fellow crew members, and now a new Mission Guide adds additional character details for those of the Ares 3.
20th Century Fox has now released The Complete Mission Guide for the Ares 3, which offers biographical information about the team as well as their roles on the mission. Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) is the team's geologist; Major Rick Martinez (Michael Peña) is the pilot; Watney's specialties are botany and mechanical engineering; Dr. Christopher Beck (Sebastian Stan) is the mission's flight surgeon; Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie) specializes in chemistry, navigation systems and astrophysics; and Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara) is the mission's Systems Operator and Reactor Technician.
Additionally, the Ares 3 Organizational Chart introduces the ground team of NASA that includes the organization's director Theodore Sanders (Jeff Daniels), Director of Mars Missions Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Hermes Flight Director Mitch Henderson (Sean Bean) and Director of Media Relations Annie Montrose (Kristen Wiig). Other pages of the guide offer details about the Hab, the structure Watney will need to survive in on Mars, as well as the crew's vehicles.
Take a look at select pages from the guide:
As evidenced by the Mission Guide, The Martian boasts an extremely talented cast both on the Ares 3 mission as well as the NASA team on the ground. Based on the well-received novel by Weir, Drew Goddard (Daredevil, The Cabin in the Woods) tackled the film script that was directed by Scott. Although Scott found success early in his career with Alien and Blade Runner, the filmmaker hasn't seen the same kind of acclaim for his recent projects, such as Exodus: Gods and Kings.
However, with Scott's stunning visuals, Goddard's knack for bringing characters to life, and the talent of the film's cast, The Martian has become one of the most anticipated films of the fall. Add in the largely positive early reviews that laud Damon's performance and the film's light-hearted take on survival, and The Martian could be a worthy contender for this year's awards season - not to mention an entertaining trip to the theater.
Next: The Martian Behind-the-Scenes Footage
The Martian opens October 2nd, 2015
Source: 20th Century Fox [via CBM]