Oscar winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) stars as an American astronaut onboard the International Space Station as World War III breaks out on Earth. The official trailer for I.S.S. reveals the destruction of our planet leads to the I.S.S. American and Russian occupants waging war in space.
In addition to Ariana DeBose as Dr. Kira Foster, the sci-fi thriller stars John Gallagher Jr. as Christian Campbell, Masha Mashkova as Weronika Vetrov, Pilou Asbæk as Alexey Pulov, Costa Ronin as Nicholai Pulov, and Chris Messina as Gordon Barrett.
“Tensions flare in the near future aboard the International Space Station as a worldwide conflict breaks out on Earth. Reeling from this, the astronauts receive orders from the ground: take control of the station by any means necessary,” reads Bleecker Street’s synopsis. “Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, working with Nick Shafir’s Blacklist script, brings together a stellar cast that includes Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, Pilou Asbaek, John Gallagher Jr., Costa Ronin, and Masha Mashkova, in a high-stakes thriller set entirely in the confines of the I.S.S. as astronauts are called to duty in fateful and terrifying ways.”
In notes provided by Bleecker Street, director Cowperthwaite explained her interest in helming I.S.S.
“As a director, I come from drama, real-life storytelling and documentary. I.S.S. was none of those. It is a thriller, it takes place in a world I’ve never visited, and it chronicles a story that never happened. What I realized, when I tried to understand why the story kept me up at night and why I knew I had to tell it, was that it is, in fact, a real-life story. It’s a story whose characters are all of us. In extreme circumstances, can we still humanize one another? Can we truly walk in someone else’s shoes? Can we continue to trust one another? If we collaborate, we can overcome anything. But if we don’t, we may feel like we protect our interests in the short term, but ultimately, we will be consumed. We will become shadows of our former selves; we will become small, and we will lose.
As we made the film, we saw things developing before our eyes. I.S.S.’s shockingly relevant themes began unfolding before us as the world faced haunting challenges. These dark
world-altering events are sprawling and international. But it is the little people who are being asked to absorb every punch. I.S.S. is a nail-biting thriller that keeps us on the edge of our seats. Underneath it all though, it’s really a human story — a story about the tension between what we’re called to do versus who we know ourselves to be.”
Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon serve as producers. Executive producers include Jacob Yakob, Joseph Yakob, Mehrdod Heydari, Michael Glassman, and Alison Semenza King.
I.S.S. opens in theaters on January 19, 2024.
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