Damien Chazelle’s ‘First Man’ Is A “Mission Movie” And Not A Biopic Says Screenwriter

Watch out Michael Bay, here comes Damien Chazelle!

The writer-director best known for his two acclaimed films, “Whiplash” and “La La Land,” is set to release his next film “First Man” later this year. However, there’s not much known about the film, other than it stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, and the story follows Armstrong as he becomes the first man to walk on the moon.

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One thing is for sure, the film is definitely not going to be a typical biopic.

According to an interview over at the Boston Globe, “First Man” screenwriter Josh Singer wanted to make sure everyone realizes that Damien Chazelle is attempting to make an action film.

“Damien had a very clear vision from the outset. He said, ‘Can we get across how challenging this was? Can we get across the visceral nature of this?’ The space program has been depicted, tonally, on the softer side in the past,” said Singer. “Damien said, ‘I want to be terrified the entire time.’ It’s one of the earliest things we talked about. Neil’s heroism isn’t because he landed on the moon, it’s because he had the wherewithal to live through it all.”

Singer goes on to talk about the amount of action in the film. Considering Chazelle has previously only reserved the action in his films for chair throwing and dancing, what he plans for “First Man” looks to be a definite step out of his comfort zone.

“This is 100 percent a mission movie. It’s about going to the moon as seen through the eyes of the guy who got there,” Singer said. “We have at least five major set pieces that are action, and if your heart rate doesn’t go through the roof, if you’re not gripping the edge of your seat the entire times, I’ll be shocked.”

“First Man” stars Gosling alongside Claire Foy, Corey Stoll, Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, and Jon Bernthal. The film is expected to be an awards contender when it’s released October 12.