Bafta-winning actors Toby Jones and Emily Watson have completed production on Mars Express, a feature-length film directed by Mackenzie Crook about the scientist behind Britain’s first spacecraft to land on Mars.
Jones stars as Colin Pillinger. Watson plays his wife, Judith.
The project chronicles their work developing the unmanned Beagle 2 probe at the Open University in Milton Keynes. They sought organic life on Mars.
The 1990s film features a Britpop soundtrack. Colin Pillinger is portrayed as an unlikely scientific hero with mutton chops and a strong West Country accent.
The Pillingers lived on an idyllic English farm. They were surrounded by dairy cattle. They assembled a team of unconventional minds to take on NASA and make British space exploration history, according to HeyUGuys.
BBC Film, the BFI, Sky, Screen Yorkshire, and CML Entertainment Finance funded the production.
Joe Bone wrote the screenplay. It is based on Colin Pillinger’s book “My Life On Mars: The Beagle 2 Diaries,” according to HeyUGuys.
Jones and Crook previously collaborated on the BBC comedy series Detectorists.
Nicholas Burns, Richard Coyle, Thaddea Graham, David Dencik, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Rob Delaney, and Fisher Stevens join the cast.
During the 1990s, Colin Pillinger became a familiar face in Britain. He sought public support and funding for the mission by enlisting celebrities and pop stars.
Mars Express, the directorial feature debut from Mackenzie Crook, has wrapped filming. #BFIbacked with #NationalLottery Good Cause funding, the films tells the extraordinary true story of Colin and Judith Pillinger and their mission to find life on Mars, starring Toby Jones and… pic.twitter.com/SEPJraOblV
The Beagle 2 lander launched on board the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter and was scheduled to touch down on 25 December 2003, as detailed by Yahoo Entertainment.
The probe went out of contact upon landing and failed to send a signal confirming a safe arrival.
The mission was considered a failure for years. Pillinger died in 2014 following a brain haemorrhage, believing the lander had not safely reached the surface.
In January 2015, images captured by NASA confirmed that the lander had reached the surface safely.
Mars Express marks the first feature-length film directed by Crook. He created Detectorists and Small Prophets, and acted in The Office and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Mary Burke, Luke Alkin, and Kenton Allen produce for Big Talk Studios. Will Clarke and Andy Mayson produce for Altitude.
“It’s a complete honour to be telling the extraordinary story… for my first feature film as director,” Crook said.
Joe Bone’s script made it easy to attract top names, the director said. “Joe Bone’s beautiful script has made it easy to attract some of the best names in the business to join our brilliantly creative team and I’m thrilled to be working once again with my friend Toby Jones.”
The film is expected to be released in 2027.