First Man (2018)

First Man is a 2018 American biographical drama film directed by Damien Chazelle from a screenplay by Josh Singer, based on James R. Hansen's 2005 book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong. The film stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, alongside Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Christopher Abbott, and Ciarán Hinds, and follows the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon in 1969, exploring the triumphs, and the cost on Armstrong, his family and his colleagues.

The project was originally announced in 2003, with Clint Eastwood slated to direct. After that rendition fell through, Chazelle, Gosling and Singer all signed on by 2015, and principal photography began in Atlanta in November 2017.

First Man had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29, 2018, and was released in the United States on October 12, by Universal Pictures. The film received critical acclaim, particularly regarding the direction, Gosling and Foy's performances, musical score, and the Moon landing sequence, but it underperformed at the box office, grossing $105.7 million worldwide against $59 million production budget. It received numerous accolades, including four nominations at the 91st Academy Awards (winning Best Visual Effects).