'Ad Astra' trivia and fun facts
Old mates
The film reunites Donald Sutherland, Tommy Lee Jones and Loren Dean who previously appeared in Space Cowboys (2000).
¿Father and son?
Tommy Lee Jones is actually only 16 years older than Brad Pitt.
Change of plans
Brad Pitt and James Gray originally planned to collaborate on adapting Mark Greaney's novel 'The Gray Man', but Pitt later dropped out and the project never finalized. This marks the third time they plan to work together (second time on 'The Lost City of Z' (2016), and the first time they really do as director and actor.
Mix
Director James Gray has said it will feature "the most realistic depiction of space travel that's been put in a movie." He's also described it as "Sorta like, if you got 'Apocalypse Now' and '2001' in a giant mash-up and you put a little [Joseph] Conrad in there."
Jamie Kennedy
Jamie Kennedy's role was cut from the final film.
It wasn't easy
Director James Gray admitted to Empire magazine that he had to compromise with the studio on the ending of the movie to get the film green-lit and even with a major star/producer like Brad Pitt on board they still struggled for years to get it made.
To the stars
The title means "to the stars" in Latin. It is often used as a shorthand for "Per Aspera Ad Astra" (Through the hardships to the Stars).