The International Space Station has been a beacon of global cooperation and scientific research since it became operational in 2000. But what if this orbital base became a vantage point to witness the nuclear obliteration of our planet below?
Thus begins the premise of a new sci-fi film from Bleecker Street titled, "I.S.S.," where mutually assured destruction caused by an all-out atomic blitz on Earth transforms the International Space Station into a claustrophobic combat zone when American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts must each try to take control of the orbital for their own country.
Starring the Academy Award-winning actress Ariana DeBose ("West Side Story") and directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite ("Blackfish"), this compelling project was screened at this year's Tribeca Film Festival and is now primed for a theatrical release on Jan. 19, 2024.
Related: ISS astronauts watch Russian cargo ship burn up in Earth's atmosphere (photos)
Here's the official 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 ISS as astronauts are called to duty in fateful and terrifying ways."
A similar premise was played out in director Peter Hyams' "2010: The Year We Make Contact," when American and Russian scientists and astronauts out to investigate the derelict spaceship from "2001: A Space Odyssey" learned of a political firestorm on Earth and had to choose sides after encountering an alien presence on Europa.
While bursting atom bombs might not appear as a tapestry of brilliant orange blooms from the height of 250 miles (400 km) up, and one might wonder exactly why the ISS would still be a valuable asset after total armageddon strikes, it's Hollywood, after all, so a healthy suspension of disbelief is required to swallow the plot and simply have fun.
"I.S.S." arrives in theaters on Jan. 19, 2024.
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