''Fly Me to the Moon'' is a 2024 American

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

romantic

comedy drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film directed by

Greg Berlanti Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', ''Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series), Brothers & Sisters'', ''Everwood'', ''Political ...

and written by Rose Gilroy, based on a story by Keenan Flynn and Bill Kirstein. The film stars

Scarlett Johansson Scarlett Ingrid Johansson (; born November 22, 1984) is an American actress and singer. The List of highest-paid film actors, world's highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019, she has been featured multiple times on the Forbes Celebrity 100, ''F ...

as Kelly Jones, a marketing specialist, and

Channing Tatum Channing Matthew Tatum (born April 26, 1980) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut in the drama ''Coach Carter'' (2005), and had his Breakthrough role, breakthrough with the sports comedy film ''She's the Man'' (2006) and t ...

as Cole Davis, a

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

launch director. Set against the backdrop of the

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans Moon landing, landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin l ...

mission, the story follows Jones and Davis as she is tasked with creating a false moon landing in case his actual mission fails. Premiering on July 8, 2024, at AMC Lincoln Square in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, the film was released in theaters on July 12, 2024. Originally planned for a streaming release on

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...

, it was moved to a

theatrical release An art release is the premiere of an artistic production and its presentation and marketing to the public. Film A film release is the authorization by the owner of a completed film to a public exhibition of the film. The exhibition may be in thea ...

after positive early test screenings. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with its blend of romance and historical drama considered uneven. It grossed $42 million worldwide on a production budget of $100 million.

Plot

In late 1968, Manhattan advertising executive Kelly Jones is offered a high-stakes job by Moe Berkus, a covert government operative working for President-elect

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

. He tasks her with revitalizing

's public image amidst waning interest in the

Space Race The Space Race (, ) was a 20th-century competition between the Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between t ...

. Under threat of being exposed for her deceptive past, Kelly reluctantly agrees and moves to

Cocoa Beach, Florida Cocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,354 at the 2020 United States census, up from 11,231 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Palm Bay, Florida, Palm Bay–Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne–T ...

, with her loyal assistant, Ruby. Upon arriving, Kelly encounters Cole Davis, the serious and principled launch director at the

Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten NASA facilities#List of field c ...

. They immediately clash over Kelly's unconventional methods to boost NASA's public appeal, including corporate sponsorships and hiring actors to portray scientists. Despite their differences, they begin to develop a mutual respect and attraction. As NASA prepares for the historic

mission, Kelly suggests broadcasting the moon landing using a television camera on the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), a proposal Cole dismisses as impractical. However, Moe secretly endorses the idea and reveals an additional, shadowy directive to Kelly: she must prepare a fake moon landing to be aired if the real mission fails, a project codenamed "Artemis". Moe pressures Kelly into creating this falsification by threatening to expose her less-than-honest past, as she has skillfully reinvented herself. Being skilled at her job, she arranges that a very talented but virtually unknown director come on board. Finding the most isolated airplane hangar on the base, it is heavily guarded. Everyone involved is sworn into secrecy. Kelly becomes increasingly uneasy with the deception, especially as she and Cole grow closer. When a key congressional supporter withdraws, jeopardizing NASA's funding, Cole and Kelly team up to win back his vote, ultimately succeeding through Cole's heartfelt appeal to a skeptical senator. Their partnership blossoms into a romantic relationship. As the Apollo 11 launch nears, Kelly discovers that the fake broadcast is set to air, regardless of the mission's outcome, due to sabotage of the LEM camera. Overcome with guilt, she confesses everything to Cole, and together, they manage to repair the camera just in time. During the live broadcast, it is unclear whether audiences are watching the real moon landing or the fake. A stray cat wandering onto the set confirms that the real footage is being transmitted, and the mission is celebrated as a success. In the end, Moe begrudgingly accepts that the truth prevailed, allowing Kelly to leave her past behind. She reveals her real name, Winnie, to Cole, and they rekindle their romance as the Apollo 11 astronauts safely return to Earth.

Cast

Production

In March 2022,

Apple Studios Apple Studios LLC is an American film, television and in-house production company that is a subsidiary of Apple Inc. It specializes in developing and producing original television series and films for Apple's digital video streaming service Appl ...

announced it had acquired the rights to produce a film set in the backdrop of the

, then titled ''Project Artemis'', for more than $100 million.

and Chris Evans were also announced as starring in the film, with

Jason Bateman Jason Kent Bateman (born January 14, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Michael Bluth in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox / Netflix sitcom ''Arrested Development'' (2003–2019) and Marty Byrde in the Netflix crime drama s ...

directing. In May, Bateman said the working title ''Project Artemis'' was likely to change. He left the project the following month, citing creative differences, and was later replaced by

, his first directorial effort since 2018's ''

Love, Simon ''Love, Simon'' is a 2018 American teen romantic comedy drama film directed by Greg Berlanti from a screenplay by Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, based on the 2015 novel '' Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda'' by Becky Albertalli. The fi ...

''. Screenwriter Rose Gilroy referred to the book '' Marketing the Moon'' for her writing. She said the book "is about the original ads that were used, and how sci-fi was woven into the minds of the American people" using genre books and films. "That was instrumental… It was endlessly interesting to learn all the ways they sold" the Apollo 11 mission. While Gilroy received sole credit for the screenplay, with Bill Kirstein and Keenan Flynn credited with the story,

Dana Fox Dana Fox (born September 18, 1976) is an American screenwriter. She is best known as the writer of the films ''The Wedding Date'' (2005), ''What Happens in Vegas'' (2008) and ''Wicked (2024 film), Wicked'' (2024, co-written with Winnie Holzman), ...

and Michael Green also made contributions to the script, earning "additional literary material" credit. The search for a new director and Berlanti's availability changed the production schedule, forcing Evans to drop out as well. In July,

entered into negotiations to replace him. In September,

Jim Rash James Rash (born July 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He played Dean Craig Pelton on the NBC sitcom ''Community'' (2009–2015), for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best ...

joined the cast.

Ray Romano Raymond Albert Romano (born December 21, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for his role as Raymond "Ray" Barone on the CBS sitcom ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' (1996–2005), for which he won three Primetime Emm ...

, Anna Garcia, and

Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. He first became known for his role as bartender Woody Boyd on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1985–1993), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in ...

would be added in the following months.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

began in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

on October 27, 2022, with a casting call issued seeking extras to play

employees and

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

agents. By December 21, 2023, with a release date of July 12, 2024 set, the film was no longer titled ''Project Artemis''. In April 2024, the film's new title was revealed to be ''Fly Me to the Moon'', and

Daniel Pemberton Daniel Pemberton (born 3 November 1977) is an English composer and songwriter. Primarily working in film, television, and video games, he is best known for composing the scores for the film '' Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'' and its sequel ...

was confirmed to compose the score.

Release

The film was initially slated to be released direct-to-streaming on

but was redirected to theatrical following strong test screenings. Following their partnership on ''

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

'', Apple entered into another agreement with

Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...

to distribute the film in cinemas in December 2023, after both

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

and

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

declined to bid for theatrical distribution rights with the latter saying it already had full release schedules. Sony Pictures scheduled the film for a theatrical release in the United States and Canada on July 12, 2024, following its premiere at AMC Lincoln Square in New York City on July 8, 2024. The film was released on

premium video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typical static broadcasting ...

(PVOD) on August 14, 2024. It was released on Apple TV+ on December 6, 2024.

Reception

Box office

''Fly Me to the Moon'' grossed $20.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $21.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $42.2 million. In the United States and Canada, ''Fly Me to the Moon'' was released alongside ''

Longlegs ''Longlegs'' is a 2024 American horror thriller film written and directed by Osgood Perkins and starring Maika Monroe, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood, and Nicolas Cage. It follows an FBI agent in the 1990s who is tasked with tracking down an occ ...

'', and was projected to gross around $12 million from 3,356 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $4.5 million on its first day, including $875,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut at $9.4 million, finishing fifth. In its second weekend, the film made $3.3 million, finishing sixth.

Critical response

Audiences polled by

CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...

gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by

PostTrak PostTrak is a U.S.-based service that surveys film audiences for film studios. History The service conducts surveys in the top 20 markets in the U.S. and Canada with the use of polling cards and electronic kiosks. A PostTrak report for a fil ...

gave it an 86% overall positive score.

Glenn Kenny Glenn Kenny (born August 8, 1959) is an American film critic and journalist. He writes for ''The New York Times'' and '' RogerEbert.com''. Biography Kenny attended William Paterson University, where he majored in English literature.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' gave the movie a mixed review. He praised the chemistry between Johansson and Tatum, writing that "the movie lives and dies with its lead actors". Kenny also criticized the plot as "convoluted" and "belabored", especially in the latter parts of the film. In a negative review, Richard Brody of ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' described the movie as a "comedic contrivance" that failed to communicate anything meaningful about the time or events portrayed.

Peter Bradshaw Peter Nicholas Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire'' magazine. Early life and education Bradshaw was educat ...

of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' also disliked the film, awarding it two out of five stars and calling it a "misjudged and unfunny romcom".

Accolades

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Apple TV+ 2024 films 2024 romantic comedy-drama films 2020s American films 2020s English-language films American romantic comedy-drama films Apple TV+ original films Columbia Pictures films Cultural depictions of Buzz Aldrin Cultural depictions of Michael Collins (astronaut) Cultural depictions of Neil Armstrong English-language romantic comedy-drama films Films about Apollo 11 Films about astronauts Films about con artists Films about conspiracy theories Films directed by Greg Berlanti Films produced by Sarah Schechter (producer) Films produced by Scarlett Johansson Films scored by Daniel Pemberton Films set in 1968 Films set in Florida Films set in New York City Films shot in Atlanta Moon landing conspiracy theories