The last half of 2018 features not one, but two, high-profile projects dealing with the first astronauts to do something spectacular. Of course, we have “The First Man,” which comes from Damien Chazelle and stars Ryan Gosling as real-life astronaut Neil Armstrong, as he becomes the first man on the Moon. But in September, Hulu is bringing us another astronaut first, but this time it’s not based on a real event…yet.
In the first trailer for “The First,” a new Hulu original series from the creator of “House of Cards,” we meet an astronaut, played by a very serious Sean Penn, as he prepares to join the crew that will be the first people to head towards Mars. As you might imagine from Penn’s casting, the series is not some light-hearted jaunt into space. No, sir. This is Sean Penn doing super serious voiceover as we see slow-mo images of his family, his crew, and everything else that surrounds a mission to Mars.
As mentioned, “The First” comes from “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon. He is the man who really put Netflix Originals on the map with his award-winning ‘Cards.’ Obviously, Hulu is hoping that he can do the same with Penn and make people understand that Hulu is more than just the service that features “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
“The First” hits Hulu on September 14. And unlike the aforementioned ‘Handmaid’s Tale,’ you can watch all the episodes at once, as Hulu is adopting the Netflix model for the series.
Here’s the official synopsis:
The First is created by Beau Willimon (House of Cards) and stars Sean Penn. Set in the near future (2030), this groundbreaking story explores the challenges of taking the first steps towards Mars. Viewers will get an intimate look at the dedicated characters trying to reach the unknown while dealing with the psychological and physical toll it takes to achieve the impossible.