Though he's mostly known for his hilarious and over-the-top quotes and long list of hit comedy films, Adam Sandler has given a few incredible dramatic performances throughout his career. Movies like Punch-Drunk Love, Reign Over Me, and Uncut Gems have all given the Saturday Night Live legend room to show his more serious side, and soon the successful actor, comedian, and musician will do it once again with the upcoming Netflix movie, Spaceman.
The long-in-the-works sci-fi movie about an astronaut attempting to keep his sanity intact after spending six months alone in space will be here soon enough, but there are some things you probably want to know beforehand. Below is a breakdown of the star-studded film with information on its release date, cast, and a look at its first trailer. Let's explore this exciting space drama...
What Is The Spaceman Release Date?
We don’t have to wait all that long to see Adam Sandler shoot off into the cosmos, as Spaceman is slated to be released on March 1st and will be available for anyone with an active Netflix subscription. According to People.com, the movie will have a limited, and brief, theatrical rollout at select theaters on February 23rd, which has become increasingly common for the streaming service over the past few years.
Adam Sandler Leads The Spaceman Cast
When Spaceman arrives on Netflix in March, it will primarily focus on Sandler’s astronaut, but he won’t be the only major star appearing in the upcoming movie. Here’s who else you can expect to see (and hear) when it drops.
Adam Sandler (Jakub)
Adam Sandler has played hotel heirs forced to go back to school, failed-hockey-players-turned-golfers, gambling addict jewelry dealers, and just about everything else under the sun throughout his career. Now he’ll play Jakub, a lonely astronaut who makes an odd discovery months into a mission to the limits of the solar system.
Paul Dano (Hanus)
Paul Dano appears, or at least voices, a character in Spaceman with his take on Hanus, a mysterious spider-like creature stowing away on Jakub’s ship deep in space. This won’t be the There Will Be Blood and Dumb Money star’s first voice gig, as he previously brought Alexander to life in Where the Wild Things Are.
Carey Mulligan (Lenka)
A team-up we never saw coming, Carey Mulligan will appear alongside Adam Sandler in Spaceman, as she plays his pregnant wife, Lenka. The decorated actress has made a name for herself with incredible turns in An Education, Promising Young Woman, and most recently, the 2023 Netflix movie, Maestro.
Kunal Nayyar (Peter)
Kunan Nayyar, who most will remember from his portrayal of Raj Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory, is also in Spaceman, taking on the role of a technician named Peter. Before Nayyar joined the cast, he appeared in movies like Think Like a Dog and the Trolls franchise.
Isabella Rossellini (Commissioner Tuma)
Isabella Rossellini will appear in Spaceman as Commission Tuma, Jakob’s commanding officer. Over the years, the Blue Velvet star has popped up in movies like Death Becomes Her, Wyatt Earp, and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.
The Spaceman Trailer Is Full Of Isolation, Emotion, And A Mystery
In January 2024, one month after giving the world a quick look at the upcoming sci-fi drama, Netflix released the first Spaceman trailer, a two-and-a-half-minute exploration of isolation, emotion, and mystery deep in the far reaches of the solar system. What the video lacked in plot details and an explanation of what Sandler’s Jakob is doing so far in space for such a long time, it more than made up for it with great drama and visuals.
What’s even more fascinating is how the trailer blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, making it hard to figure out if the lonely astronaut is experiencing such things or if it's all a figment of his imagination. As they say, we’ll have to wait and see.
Spaceman Follows An Astronaut Alone In Space As He Contemplates His Past And Future
When Spaceman premieres on Netflix, it will follow an astronaut as he contemplates his past and future as he travels through the vacuum of space. Reliving memories of life back on Earth and the crumbling relationship shared with his wife, the lonely traveler meets a mysterious spider-like creature in the bowels of his ship, one with incredible powers that defy logic and reality.
The Movie Is Based On Jaroslav Kalfař’s Novel, Spaceman Of Bohemia
If the name and concept sound familiar, it could have something to do with the fact the movie is based on Jaroslav Kalfař’s Spaceman Of Bohemia. The sci-fi novel, which was published by Little, Brown and Co. back in March 2017, follows Jakub Procházka, the first independent Czech Republic astronaut, as he's sent on an eight-month mission to a cloud of intergalactic dust near Venus so he can investigate the strange phenomenon.
There have been plans for the book-to-screen adaptation of Spaceman of Bohemia since 2020, according to Deadline, and now those plans are finally about to be realized when the movie premieres in March.
Spaceman Is Directed By Chernobyl Helmer, Johan Renck
We won’t see Chornobyl Season 2, but fans will probably be glad to hear that the director of the Emmy-winning HBO limited series about one of the biggest nuclear disasters of all time is helming Spaceman. The upcoming Adam Sandler movie is only Renck’s second feature film, as much of his career has been spent directing episodes of Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Bates Motel, Halt and Catch Fire, and several other popular shows.
Spaceman was adapted by Colby Day, whose previous credits include short films like Lead/Follow, Perks, and Happy Vacation, to name a few.
What Is Spaceman Rated?
Unlike the surprisingly great Leo, Sandler’s animated musical from late 2023, Spaceman probably isn’t going to be a Netflix movie for the whole family. According to the streamer, the upcoming drama is rated R due to its mature language. There may be more to this rating, but we won’t know for sure until the movie is released.
Expect to hear a whole lot more about Spaceman as we get closer to its March 1st release. In the meantime, take a look at our 2024 movie schedule for all the latest on other movies coming to theaters and streaming services like Netflix in the coming weeks and months.
