'Ad Astra' News: Brad Pitt, James Gray to Film Sci-Fi Movie This Summer

Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and filmmaker James Gray are joining forces for the upcoming sci-fi movie "Ad Astra," which is scheduled to begin production this summer.

Speaking with Collider's Steve Weintraub at the press day for "Lost City of Z," Gray confirmed that "Ad Astra" is indeed his next project and it will feature Pitt in the starring role.

The director said:

"Yes, yes, and yes. I'm terrified by it. The science-fiction genre is so tricky because there are elements of fantasy usually involved, and there are also fantastical elements. What I'm trying to do is the most realistic depiction of space travel that's been put in a movie and to basically say, 'Space is awfully hostile to us.' It's kind of a Heart of Darkness story about traveling to the outer edge of our solar system. I have a lot of hopes for it but it is certainly ambitious... It starts shooting July 17th, so not too far away. I'm filled with terror, but that's fine (laughs)."

According to the online news outlet, "Ad Astra" is the culmination of years of courtship between Pitt and Gray, especially since the two of them have been trying to work together for quite some time now.

Pitt was reportedly intending to star in Gray's other upcoming film "Lost City of Z" but had to drop out, though the actor was still intimately involved in the film as a producer.

They have also been developing "The Grey Man" as a potential project together. However, "Ad Astra" will be the first time Pitt will be working with Grey in front of the camera.

"Ad Astra" is a forthcoming film Gray co-wrote with Ethan Ross. It revolves around an engineer with autism whose father had left Earth 20 years earlier on a one-way mission to Neptune in order to find indications of extra-terrestrial intelligence. Now that he is an adult, the engineer sets out to travel the solar system to track down his father and figure out why his mission failed.

"Ad Astra" does not have an official release date yet.