‘First Man’ Trailer: Ryan Gosling and Damien Chazelle Blast Off From ‘La La Land’ to Space in Neil Armstrong Drama

Damien Chazelle has become an Oscar favorite after his feature breakout “Whiplash” won three awards and his follow-up, “La La Land,” won six after earning a record-tying 14 nominations. “La La Land” made Chazelle the youngest best director winner in Academy Award history, which only sets the anticipation bar higher for the director’s upcoming “First Man.”

“First Man” reunites Chazelle with “La La Land” star Ryan Gosling in the true story of astronaut Neil Armstrong’s mission to land on the moon. The script by “Spotlight” co-writer Josh Singer balances Gosling’s astronaut life with his responsibilities to his family at home. Claire Foy, pulling double duty this fall with “First Man” and her starring role in “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” plays Armstrong’s wife, Janet Shearon. Singer promises the film is not a traditional biopic but a visceral mission movie with tons of action.

Chazelle has assembled an excellent ensemble cast to play the parts of Armstrong’s fellow astronauts, including Corey Stoll as Buzz Aldrin, Kyle Chandler as Deke Slayton, Jason Clarke as Ed White, Shea Whigham as Gus Grissom, and Jon Bernthal as David Scott. Chazelle used IMAX 70MM cameras for certain portions of the movie.

“First Man” opens in theaters October 12 via Universal Pictures. Watch the first trailer below.