Space Race 2.0: Russia trumps the US again, shoots feature film in orbit

A new space race is upon us and, like 60 years ago, the Russians have once again one-upped bitter rivals the United States.

The Soviet Union became the first nation state to send a human being into space nearly 60 years ago, trumping the US. Now, Russia, its successor state, has again triumphed over the US by shooting a feature film in orbit.

Director Klim Shipenko and actor Yulia Peresild flew to the International Space Station (ISS) in a Soyuz MS-19 aircraft earlier this week to film a sequence for Vyzov (The Challenge). The duo was accompanied by cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov.

The flight was a huge success, barring a tiny hiccup at the automatic docking station. The actor-director duo will spend 12 days filming for 35-40 minutes on the ISS.

A 2020 report had said Hollywood icon Tom Cruise, known for his daredevilry and death-defying stunts in the Mission: Impossible franchise, had been approached to shoot a film in space. The film was to be directed by Doug Liman, who had worked with Cruise in American Made and Edge of Tomorrow. NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX were also reportedly involved in the film’s production. Then NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed the news to the Associated Press later in the year. He said a SpaceX rocket would drop Cruise and the film crew to the ISS.

The Challenge
Vyzov, the Russian film, follows a cosmonaut who loses consciousness after space debris hits him in the middle of a flight. His condition prevents him from returning to Earth, and a surgeon is flown to the ISS to operate on him in zero gravity. The film has been co-written by Shipenko with Bakur Bakuradze.

The project is backed by Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, the state-run Channel One and the Yellow, Black and White studio.

Filming in space
One reason why a significant portion of the film being shot in space is realism. But these days, visual effects have become so advanced that it can make any soundstage resemble Mars. Photorealism in films makes it near-impossible to differentiate between real and visual effects.

Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity, the acclaimed 2013 science-fiction thriller, built every shot that featured celestial objects or space using computer-generated imagery (CGI). Tim Webber, the film’s visual effects supervisor, said 80% of Gravity was CGI. Yet, it was praised for realism and won seven Oscars, including one for cinematography.

However, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, has explained the real reason for filming the project in space — national pride. Rogozin, who threw his weight behind the film, said he wanted to glorify Russia’s capabilities in space. “We have been pioneers in space and maintained a confident position. Such missions that help advertise our achievements and space exploration, in general, are great for the country,” he told the Associated Press.

 “I expect the project to help draw attention to our space program, to the cosmonaut profession. We need a better visualisation of space research. Space deserves being shown in a more professional, artful way.”

The challenges for cast and crew
Travelling in space involves considerable mental and physical fitness. Both Shipenko and Peresild said their preparation training was gruelling, but the end result was worth the toil. The Associated Press quoted Peresild: “We worked really hard and we are really tired, even though we stay in good spirits and smile. It was psychologically, physically and morally hard. But I think that once we achieve the goal, all that will seem not so difficult and we will remember it with a smile.”

Shipenko said: “Of course, we couldn’t make many things at the first try, and sometimes even at a third attempt, but it’s normal.”

Tom Cruise’s space film
The Associated Press reported that according to SpaceX’s representatives, producer PJ van Sandwijk had asked Liman if he wanted to film in space. Liman had told the Associated Press in January: “There’s just a lot of technical stuff that we’re figuring out. It’s really exciting because when you make a film with Tom Cruise, you have to put stuff on the screen that no one’s ever seen before.”

Casting details or the film’s plot are still not available.

Cruise is currently busy with post-production on Top Gun: Maverick and the seventh Mission: Impossible film.