This past weekend, Carey Mulligan shined with her hosting debut on Saturday Night Live. Following her journey down sketch comedy, the Promising Young Woman actress will be working with all-time SNL favorite, Adam Sandler in a new Netflix movie. The Oscar-nominated actress has just been cast in a key role in the science-fiction film, Spaceman. It’s a pairing that feels perfectly aligned to be among the stars.
Adam Sandler has been attached to the leading role of Spaceman since October, but now he’ll have company in the talented British actress who is high on award-season predictions for her performance in Emerald Fennell’s dark comedy, Promising Young Woman. Per the Deadline report, Mulligan will be playing the wife of Sandler’s astronaut character in Spaceman.
Spaceman continues Adam Sandler’s partnership with Netflix, where he has previously found success with his films like Hubie Halloween and Murder Mystery. Though this project seems to drift a bit away from the ensemble slapstick comedies Sandler is well-known for delivering on the streaming platform. Spaceman will be an adaptation of Czech author Jaroslav Kalfar’s 2017 novel, Spaceman of Bohemia.
The book follows a Czech astronaut named Jakub Procházka who is sent to a location near to the planet Venus to retrieve samples of mysterious intergalactic dust. The mission is deemed too dangerous by other space programs, but Jakub and the Czech Republic are determined to complete the mission, so off he goes. Things go off the deep end for the astronaut when he learns his wife is leaving him while in space and he begins to hear a mysterious creature on his ship.
Spaceman of Bohemia is classified as absurdist fiction along with being a sci-fi novel, so there’s definitely room here for Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan to use their comedic chops in between telling the unique space story for Netflix. The movie will be directed by Chernobyl filmmaker Johan Renck from a script by newcomer Colby Day. No other talent has yet to be cast, but Sandler and Mulligan is enough to get me super pumped. In fact, the odd pairing is kind of a dream and I'm interested to see how the movie plays out.
Carey Mulligan’s career thus far has certainly been marked by her dramatic work, but between her stunning role in Promising Young Woman and funny bits on last weekend’s SNL episode, a door is swinging open for the British actress to get acquainted with more comedic pursuits and now she’ll join the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore as leading ladies opposite the Happy Gilmore star.
As far as Adam Sandler, the actor has dabbled in drama over the years, most recently with 2019’s Uncut Gems. After high acclaim for his role in the Safdie Brothers’ movie, the actor is also set to star in sports drama Hustle, where he’ll play a washed-up basketball scout who discovers a player in China. No word on the release dates for these upcoming Adam Sandler projects, but they do seem to mark a renewed interest in outside-the-box content. Meanwhile, you can check out what’s coming next to Netflix in 2021 here on CinemaBlend.
