Hollywood is (literally) going to space: 'I See You' aims to film above Earth next year
What does a love story feel like when the Earth is just a blue marble outside the window? We may find out soon. A new romantic space drama, 'I See You,' is gearing up to shoot more than 60 miles above the planet starting next year.
Producer Andrea Iervolino (movies and tv series) is behind the project - the same entrepreneur who's worked on Paradox Effect, In the Fire, and Finding Steve McQueen (movies and tv series). He's not just hiring a space consultant; he's bringing in someone who's actually lived up there.
Scott Kelly is on board to keep it real
Retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly (movies and tv series) has joined as a script advisor, according to Deadline. Kelly spent 340 consecutive days in orbit in 2015-2016 - at the time a NASA record - and the idea is to bake that lived experience into the film's heartbeat.
Iervolino says Kelly's first-hand insight will help the team portray "human endurance, isolation, and emotional connection" in a way that actually feels true. That's the core of the movie's theme - not just the spectacle of space, but what it does to people.
Story under wraps, but the plan is bold
The plot is sealed tight for now. The script is coming from veteran TV writers Andrew Schneider (movies and tv series) and Diane Frolov (The Sopranos, Northern Exposure). No word yet on the director, cast, or release date.
Here's what we do know: Iervolino plans to blast off with crew - and possibly actors - when filming begins. He says talks are in "advanced stages" to secure the rocket that will take them there. It sounds wild, but the truth is spaceflights for civilians are already happening. Companies like Blue Origin have been sending paying passengers - celebrities included - on short trips.
How much of it will actually be shot in space?
That's still a question. Some portions will be captured above the 60-mile mark, but not everything. The team plans to weave in real space stock footage too - a practical choice to keep the schedule and budget from spinning out.
Tom Cruise (movies and tv series) (pictured) and Doug Liman (movies and tv series) were also revealed to be working on a space action movie a few years back, although this effort is yet to materialise. The Top Gun actor has starred in many sci-fi projects, including Oblivion, in which he stars as a futuristic ranger assigned to protect the Earth's resources.
And yes, there'll be training. Anyone going up - including Iervolino - will need to pass an intensive prep program before stepping into a capsule.
Hollywood's first, but not the first ever
Russia got there first with The Challenge (2023), a feature shot on the International Space Station. The film followed a surgeon sent to the ISS for a life-or-death operation and featured cosmonauts Yulia Peresild (movies and tv series) and Anton Shkaplerov (movies and tv series), who flew up with the director in 2021.
Hollywood almost beat them. Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman were developing a space action project a few years ago, but it hasn't taken off - at least not yet.
Who's steering this mission
Iervolino heads Space11, a studio and aerospace outfit launched in 2021 to bring entertainment beyond Earth. He's betting that audiences won't just notice the difference - they'll feel it.
As for Kelly, he's flown four missions and spent nearly a year off the planet. If you're trying to write about what it's like to be alone in the dark (movies and tv series) with the Earth sliding underneath you - he's the guy you call.
What this could mean
Maybe it's a one-off. Or maybe it's the start of something new - filmmakers swapping soundstages for suborbital runs when the story calls for it. Not for every movie, of course. But for a handful that need the silence, the weightlessness, the way a face looks when sunlight bounces off a visor.
Here's the honest part: it's risky, it's expensive, and a lot can change between now and launch. But if it happens, the first Hollywood feature shot in space won't just be a headline - it'll be a new way to make a scene feel true.
What we know so far
- Title: 'I See You,' a romantic space drama
- Producer: Andrea Iervolino (Space11)
- Script: Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov
- Advisor: Retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly
- Filming: Planned above 60 miles from Earth, starting next year
- Rocket: Discussions in advanced stages; training required
- Footage: Mix of new space shots, Earth-based scenes, and real stock footage
- Unknowns: Director, cast, and release date
We'll keep watching this one. Because if a love story can hold up in microgravity, it can probably hold up anywhere.
