A new Netflix animated movie will give a new perspective on the first moon landing. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood comes from the mind of Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Richard Linklater (Boyhood, A Scanner Darkly) from his time of growing up as a kid in Houston in 1969 during the Apollo 10 launch. It features an all-star cast that includes Glen Powell, Zachary Levi, and Jack Black. Instead of just being fascinated by a moon landing, Stan is recruited by NASA since the lunar module they built is too small for an adult to pilot.
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“First, let me tell you about life back then,” Stan narrates. “Living in the Houston area in the late ’60s was a great time and place to be a kid. But the world was changing and so was how we saw ourselves in it.” We then see glimpses of Stan’s home life with the family, carpool trips to school, and the search for “hippies.” Through everything remains Stan’s love of space, which is evident from his NASA t-shirt and constant time in front of the TV watching flight footage. Since Stan’s voyage is top secret, he can’t let his friends or family know about it.
“It struck me years ago that this was my film to make, from both a chronological and proximity level – I was there, going into 3rd grade. Our unique animation style allows both the conjuring of a world long gone, and the flowing, playful expression of memory and imagination. It’s been a fun, creative journey to incorporate things like 3D graphics into a live action shoot to help bring this story to life,” said Richard Linklater.
The synopsis for Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood reads, “Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood tells the story of the first moon landing in the summer of 1969 from two interwoven perspectives – the astronaut and mission control view of the triumphant moment, and through the eyes of a kid growing up in Houston, Texas who has intergalactic dreams of his own. Taking inspiration from Academy Award-nominated® filmmaker Richard Linklater’s own life, Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood is a snapshot of American life in the 1960s that is part coming of age, part societal commentary, and part out-of-this-world adventure.”
Written and Directed by Richard Linklater, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood stars Jack Black, Zachary Levi, Glen Powell, Josh Wiggins, Milo Coy, Lee Eddy, Bill Wise, Natalie L’Amoreaux, Jessica Brynn Cohen, Sam Chipman, and Danielle Guilbot. The film arrives in select theaters on March 25th and on Netflix April 1st.
