Director Christopher Winterbauer (“Wyrm”) and “Ripple”’s scenarist Max Taxe join forces to create “Moonshot.” Starring Lana Condor (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) and Cole Sprouse (“Riverdale”), “Moonshot” is a sci-fi romantic comedy that will be released exclusively on HBO Max on March 31. The month of Mars summons you to fly to the Red Planet. Are you in?
On March 10, HBO Max put out an exciting trailer to promote “Moonshot.” The scenes display shades of the “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” franchise, with a blonde Cole Sprouse.
The movie follows Sophie (Condor), who has been dating Calvin (Mason Gooding) for eight years. “Gifted engineer,” “ambidextrous” and “pragmatic,” Calvin checks off everything on her “life partner checklist.” “Moonshot” introduces a time when Mars is in the process of being colonized, and so, the most intelligent scientists on Earth are sent there to figure out a sustainable way to settle. In this context, Calvin, offered his dream Martian job, moves to Mars and maintains a long-distance relationship with Sophie. But “long-distance dating sucks,” as she so candidly puts it. Just like Lara Jean, Sophie is super smart and likes to do things rigorously. So, she enrolls in a Mars program to be with her boyfriend. although she “[found] that thing that [she’s] willing to cross the entire universe to be with,” is it reciprocated? Maybe not. According to the trailer, there will be some trouble in paradise (or shall we say outer space) for Sophie and Calvin. This is shown when Sophie spontaneously calls him because she misses him, and he asks her if they had “a call scheduled.”
Cole Sprouse, on the other hand, plays the role of Walt, a barista who seems to have a soft spot for Sophie. When she bids him farewell, seemingly forever, Walt has a surge of testosterone and clandestinely sneaks onto the same space shuttle. He has been dreaming of going to Mars ever since he was a child, and so, he sets off for the adventure of a lifetime. Knowing his secret, Sophie cannot let him get caught. And when things don’t go as planned for her, he might just be the one to help her pick up the pieces. Here begins “a historic journey,” one of fun, self-exploration and discovery for Walt and Sophie.
After “[she’s] spent [her] entire life trying to check an impossible set of boxes,” Sophie will finally learn to let go and approach life in a more relaxed and light-hearted manner with Walt by her side. As HBO Max cleverly put it on Instagram, they had to “find the space to connect.”
Michelle Buteau, Zach Braff and Emily Rudd will also be part of the “Moonshot” cast. Set on Mars, “Moonshot” brings “a space movie through young adults’ eyes,” explained Condor on the Ellen show. As she and Sprouse have known each other for a few years, their chemistry emanates in the trailer. Will the stars align for Sophie and Walt?
Find out in “Moonshot,” releasing exclusively on HBO Max on March 31.