| Fly Me to the Moon | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Greg Berlanti |
| Screenplay by | Rose Gilroy |
| Story by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Dariusz Wolski |
| Edited by | Harry Jierjian |
| Music by | Daniel Pemberton |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 132 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $100 million[2] |
| Box office | $42 million[3][4] |
Fly Me to the Moon is a 2024 Americanhistoricalromanticcomedy drama film directed byGreg Berlanti and written by Rose Gilroy, based on a story by Keenan Flynn and Bill Kirstein. The film starsScarlett Johansson as Kelly Jones, amarketing specialist, andChanning Tatum as Cole Davis, aNASA launch director. Set against the backdrop of theApollo 11 mission, the story follows Jones and Davis as she is tasked with creating afalse moon landing in case his actual mission fails.
Premiering on July 8, 2024, at AMC Lincoln Square inNew York City, the film was released in theaters on July 12, 2024. Originally planned for a streaming release onApple TV+, it was moved to atheatrical release after positive earlytest screenings. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with its blend of romance and historical drama considered uneven. It grossed $42 million worldwide on a production budget of $100 million.
In late 1968, Manhattanadvertising executive Kelly Jones is offered a high-stakes job by Moe Berkus, a covert government operative working for President-electRichard Nixon. He tasks her with revitalizingNASA's public image amidst waning interest in theSpace Race. Under threat of being exposed for her deceptive past, Kelly reluctantly agrees and moves toCocoa Beach, Florida, with her loyal assistant, Ruby.
Upon arriving, Kelly encounters Cole Davis, the serious and principled launch director at theKennedy Space Center. They immediately clash over Kelly's unconventional methods to boost NASA's public appeal, including corporate sponsorships and hiring actors to portray scientists. Despite their differences, they begin to develop a mutual respect and attraction.
As NASA prepares for the historicApollo 11 mission, Kelly suggests broadcasting the moon landing using a television camera on theLunar Excursion Module (LEM), a proposal Cole dismisses as impractical. However, Moe secretly endorses the idea and reveals an additional, shadowy directive to Kelly: she must prepare afake moon landing to be aired if the real mission fails, a project codenamed "Artemis".
Moe pressures Kelly into creating this falsification by threatening to expose her less-than-honest past, as she has skillfully reinvented herself. Being skilled at her job, she arranges that a very talented but virtually unknown director come on board. Finding the most isolated airplane hangar on the base, it is heavily guarded. Everyone involved is sworn into secrecy.
Kelly becomes increasingly uneasy with the deception, especially as she and Cole grow closer. When a key congressional supporter withdraws, jeopardizing NASA's funding, Cole and Kelly team up to win back his vote, ultimately succeeding through Cole's heartfelt appeal to a skeptical senator.
Their partnership blossoms into a romantic relationship. As the Apollo 11 launch nears, Kelly discovers that the fake broadcast is set to air, regardless of the mission's outcome, due to sabotage of the LEM camera. Overcome with guilt, she confesses everything to Cole, and together, they manage to repair the camera just in time.
During the live broadcast, it is unclear whether audiences are watching the real moon landing or the fake. A stray cat wandering onto the set confirms that the real footage is being transmitted, and the mission is celebrated as a success.
In the end, Moe begrudgingly accepts that the truth prevailed, allowing Kelly to leave her past behind. She reveals her real name, Winnie, to Cole, and they rekindle their romance as the Apollo 11 astronauts safely return to Earth.
In March 2022,Apple Studios announced it had acquired the rights to produce a film set in the backdrop of theSpace Race, then titledProject Artemis, for more than $100 million.Scarlett Johansson andChris Evans were also announced as starring in the film, withJason Bateman directing.[7] In May, Bateman said the working titleProject Artemis was likely to change.[8] He left the project the following month, citing creative differences,[9] and was later replaced byGreg Berlanti, his first directorial effort since 2018'sLove, Simon.[10]
Screenwriter Rose Gilroy referred to the bookMarketing the Moon for her writing. She said the book "is about the original ads that were used, and how sci-fi was woven into the minds of the American people" using genre books and films. "That was instrumental… It was endlessly interesting to learn all the ways they sold" the Apollo 11 mission.[11] While Gilroy received sole credit for the screenplay, with Bill Kirstein and Keenan Flynn credited with the story,Dana Fox andMichael Green also made contributions to the script, earning "additional literary material" credit.[12]
The search for a new director and Berlanti's availability changed the production schedule, forcing Evans to drop out as well. In July,Channing Tatum entered into negotiations to replace him.[13] In September,Jim Rash joined the cast.[14]Ray Romano,Anna Garcia, andWoody Harrelson would be added in the following months.[15][16][17]
Principal photography began inAtlanta on October 27, 2022, with a casting call issued seeking extras to playNASA employees andFBI agents.[18] By December 21, 2023, with a release date of July 12, 2024 set, the film was no longer titledProject Artemis.[19] In April 2024, the film's new title was revealed to beFly Me to the Moon,[20][21] andDaniel Pemberton was confirmed to compose the score.[22]
The film was initially slated to be released direct-to-streaming onApple TV+ but was redirected to theatrical following strong test screenings.[23] Following their partnership onNapoleon, Apple entered into another agreement withSony Pictures to distribute the film in cinemas in December 2023,[24] after bothWarner Bros. andParamount declined to bid for theatrical distribution rights with the latter saying it already had full release schedules. Sony Pictures scheduled the film for a theatrical release in the United States and Canada on July 12, 2024,[25] following its premiere at AMC Lincoln Square in New York City on July 8, 2024.[26]
The film was released onpremium video on demand (PVOD) on August 14, 2024.[27] It was released on Apple TV+ on December 6, 2024.[28]
Fly Me to the Moon grossed $20.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $21.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $42.2 million.[3][4]
In the United States and Canada,Fly Me to the Moon was released alongsideLonglegs, and was projected to gross around $12 million from 3,356 theaters in its opening weekend.[29] It made $4.5 million on its first day, including $875,000 from Thursday night previews.[30][31] It went on to debut at $9.4 million, finishing fifth.[31][32] In its second weekend, the film made $3.3 million, finishing sixth.[33][34]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 66% of 238 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Sustained by Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum's screwball chemistry even when its plotting strains credulity, this throwback romance is a pleasant enough trip to the moon and back."[35]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 53 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[36] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled byPostTrak gave it an 86% overall positive score.[31]
Glenn Kenny ofThe New York Times gave the movie a mixed review. He praised the chemistry between Johansson and Tatum, writing that "the movie lives and dies with its lead actors". Kenny also criticized the plot as "convoluted" and "belabored", especially in the latter parts of the film.[37] In a negative review, Richard Brody ofThe New Yorker described the movie as a "comedic contrivance" that failed to communicate anything meaningful about the time or events portrayed.[38]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian also disliked the film, awarding it two out of five stars and calling it a "misjudged and unfunny romcom".[39]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Trailer Awards | May 30, 2024 | Best Comedy | "Connection" | Nominated | [40][41] |
| Best Romance | Nominated | ||||
| Saturn Awards | February 2, 2025 | Best Action / Adventure Film | Fly Me to the Moon | Nominated | [42] |
