Today we are dealing with the threat of Russian interference with our government that threatens the founding of our democracy. But back in 1959, we were just trying to hit space, and a new Disney + series will tell the story of how NASA’s historic efforts turned some gifted pilots and engineers into American heroes.
The right stuff is a new adaptation of the TV series of Tom Wolfe’s 1979 book of the same name, which was previously transformed into a movie back in 1983. The first trailer for the series has arrived, shown on the inspiring ambitions we have once had as people and all those who turned our hopeful eyes to the stars.
The right trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og0htvEVqJQ
In the center of The right stuff, we have Major John Glenn (Patrick J. Adams), a respected Marine pilot and committed family man, and Lieutenant Commander Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman), one of the best test pilots in the history of the Navy. The series also focuses on Mercury 7 crew members such as Captain Gordo Cooper (Colin O’Donoghue), the youngest of the seven selected; Wally Schirra (Aaron Staton), a competitive pilot with a gift for pulling pranks; Scott Carpenter (James Lafferty), called “The Poet” by his fellow astronauts; Deke Slayto (Micah Stock), a quiet but incredibly intelligent pilot and engineer; and Gus Grissom, (Michael Trotter), a decorated military veteran who eventually becomes the second man in space.
Beyond the astronauts themselves, we will also see how their families deal with their newfound fame and the risky endeavors they undertake. Nora Zehetner plays Annie Glenn, wrestling with a speech impediment in the public eye. Shannon Lucio is Louise Shepard, who refuses to let Alan’s transgressions affect her home and children. En Eloise Mumford portrays Trudy Cooper, a self-proclaimed pilot in her own right who puts aside her ambitions to present the image of a happy family.
The right stuff is executive produced by Mark Lafferty (Stop and catch fire, Castle Rock), who also acted as showrunner. Jennifer Davisson en Leonardo DiCaprio also executive products through their Appian Way production banner along with Sil Staples (Animals), Danny Strong (Rich), Howard Korder (Boardwalk Empire), en Chris Long (The Americans), who also directs the first episode. The longtime editor of Martins Scorsese Thelma Schoonmaker also acts as a consulting producer, and Michael Hampton overseeing production for Appian Way as co-producer.
For more on The right stuff, check out our Comic-Con review at the show’s panel. Otherwise, here’s the official synopsis of the Disney + show:
At the height of the Cold War in 1959, the Soviet Union dominated the space race. To combat a national sentiment of fear and decline, the US government receives from NASA’s Project Mercury, a space race with the Soviets, and immediately makes famous of a handful of the army’s most accomplished test pilots. These characters, known as the Mercury Seven, are forged into heroes long before they achieve a single heroic act. The nation’s best engineers estimate that they will need several decades to make it into outer space. They get two years in prison. The strengths of astronauts are only made equal by their shortcomings. As the men succumb to the seductions that surround them, Project Mercury threatens to break up. At the heart of the historical drama populated by deeply human characters are two men who become icons – Glenn and Shepard – because they jockey to be the first man in space. The whole program is almost brought to its knees by its intense rivalry. The series also follows NASA engineers, who work counter-clockwise as pressure rises from Washington and a transfixed audience. And we witness the underbelly of a mythical propaganda machine led by NASA’s PR department and supported by the writers and editors at LIFE Magazine.
The right stuff debuts at Disney + October 9, 2020.
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