Adam Sandler is the first to admit that he “rarely gets more than 8 minutes alone before I have to start doing something.”
Despite the loneliness issue encountered by his character Jakub, an astronaut who ventures into space in Swedish director Johan Renck’s feature Spaceman, Sandler told journalists on Wednesday: “I recommend to all of you spending time alone in a spaceship.”
It was that sort of a press conference. Lots of jokes from Sandler, who plays a serious role in the film, and lots of questions from reporters about loneliness and disconnection, two central themes of the film.
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Shot at the end of the pandemic, some of the film’s players barely met, even on the shoot, which only enhanced the feeling. “I think I saw Adam at the airport,” quipped actor Kunal Nayyar. Paul Dano spoke about rehearsals on Zoom. Some players shot in Prague, while others were in New York. Sandler spent time hanging from a crane acting with a tennis ball. “The tennis ball allowed me to feel alone,” he said.
The film is based on the novel Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar. “ I think we did him justice,” said producer Michael Parets.
The story is set in an alternative future where the Czechs are frontrunners in the space race. Jakub (Sandler) their lead cosmonaut, is on a mission to investigate a space cloud that could hold the secrets of the universe.
There is drama. He realizes his wife might not be waiting for him when he gets home. He encounters a space creature turned extraterrestrial spider (Dano) living in the spaceship who helps him try to figure it out.
Renck said he follows his heart when it comes to filmmaking.
“It is important to make stuff that hasn’t been done before,” he said. “I personally don’t really like the idea of using inspiration from other people’s films for your work. I tend to try to put on a blindfold and do what we can do together and not base it on an existing language.”
Spaceman is the second film from Renck. He is better known for his work in television, including the Emmy-winning Chernobyl, while his music video clients have included Beyoncé, Madonna and David Bowie. Sinestra, the company he runs with Parets, has a first-look deal with Fremantle.
“Loneliness is a perpetual human condition that we try to overcome as best we can,” said Renck. “We shot this at the end of the pandemic. We shot from a crane so he (Sandler) was definitely all alone there. The film is about loneliness but also disconnection.”
Oscar nominated this season for the Maestro, Mulligan said: “For a period of time it’s all you think about when you are lucky enough to be nominated.”
She countered some of the loneliness rhetoric by saying: “What is so beautiful about films or plays is that there is an embedded community. We had an amazing crew that loved what Johan was doing.”
There were lots of questions about spiders.
“With four kids every day I have to chase a spider out of the room a lot. Children have cured my arachnophobia,” said Renck.
Dano took a more sober view.
“We all could use a kind shoulder and a kind set of eyes to be there for us. I took Hanus at face value. The thing that felt right was to be a spirit guide.”
Hanus delivered a powerful message for his space friend. “He basically tells me to stop running away. Why do you want to go for something over there when you’ve got something right there that’s beautiful,” said Sandler.
Spaceman has its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Netflix is releasing the film worldwide.
Check out the Spaceman trailer below.
