Why does anybody ever go into space? Nothing good ever seems to happen out there? Either you get lost in the vast expanse of the universe, or a sun explodes, or a predatory alien race hatches aboard your ship, or someone on your ship goes nuts and tries to kill the entire crew. It’s never good. And certainly, things go awry for the U.S. and Russian crew aboard an international space station in the upcoming thriller, I.S.S.
One of the big draws of this film will be Oscar-winner Ariana Debose, with the Wish and West Side Story actress leading a cast that includes Chris Messina, Pilou Asbæk, John Gallagher Jr., Costa Ronin, and Masha Mashkova.
The story, penned by Nick Shafir, finds tensions rising between American and Russian astronauts aboard the I.S.S. space station when global conflict erupts down on Earth. Both teams are secretly ordered to take out the other and claim the station.
Behind the camera is director Gabriela Cowperthwaite. She broke out with the acclaimed documentary Blackfish, but since then has been taking on more narrative projects including Megan Leavey and Our Friend, both really good dramas. She also recently went back to documentaries with The Grab.
Here’s the synopsis: 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. 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.
I.S.S. opens in theaters on January 19th 2024.
