Adam Sandler has greatly expanded his theatrical repertoire of late with a full spectrum of provocative projects like Netflix’s family-friendly animated fantasy “Leo,” and serious dramatic turns in “Hustle” and “Uncut Gems.”
Now a new expanded trailer for Sandler’s strangely poignant celestial thriller, “Spaceman,” has been launched by Netflix and we finally get our first look at Paul Dano’s creepy alien spider. Directed by “Chernobyl’s” Johan Renck off of a screenplay courtesy of Colby Day, the sci-fi flick drifts into theaters for a limited time starting Feb. 23, 2024 prior to its big Netflix debut on Mar. 1.
“Spaceman” is a somber and reflective adaptation of the 2017 novel, “Spaceman of Bohemia,” by Jaroslav Kalfař and features Sandler as an American astronaut named Jakub who’s adrift in the interstellar void both literally and figuratively. It co-stars Carey Mulligan, Paul Dano, Kunal Nayyar, Lena Olin and Isabella Rossellini.
“I really wanted to have a performance from him that had nothing to do with the Adam Sandler we all know,” director Johan Renck told Netflix. “I don’t think people understand how [although] he may come across as funny and sweet and all that, he’s very intelligent, really smart, profound.”
Here’s the official description:
“Six months into a solitary research mission to the edge of the solar system, an astronaut, Jakub (Sandler), realizes that the marriage he left behind might not be waiting for him when he returns to Earth. Desperate to fix things with his wife, Lenka (Mulligan), he is helped by a mysterious creature from the beginning of time he finds hiding in the bowels of his ship. Hanuš (voiced by Dano) works with Jakub to make sense of what went wrong before it is too late.”
The major highlight of this latest preview is the unsettling appearance of the talking celestial spider named Hanuš, voiced with hypnotic perfection by Dano (“There Will Be Blood,” “Okja”) who delivers an exceptionally measured performance even in this eerie sneak peek as a crawling, multi-eyed entity hoping to help Jakub in his moment of emotional distress and isolation.
“Paul was the first thing that came up in thinking about [the creature],” Renck added. “He has this peculiar cadence when he’s speaking, his careful formulation of words, and his very unique voice.”
Netflix’s “Spaceman” lands on the streamer Mar. 1, 2024 after a brief theatrical run.
