Disney+ is bringing some iconic American heroes to the small screen this October with The Right Stuff, a dramatic biopic about the early days of the U.S. space program, and the service has just released the show’s newest trailer. The Right Stuff follows the story of the original Mercury Seven astronauts: Scott Carpenter (James Lafferty), Gordon Cooper (Colin O’Donoghue), John Glenn (Patrick J. Adams), Gus Grissom (Michael Trotter), Wally Schirra (Aaron Staton), Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman), and Deke Slayton (Micah Stock). Disney+ and National Geographic have announced that the series will debut with a two-episode premiere on Oct. 9.
It is clear from the brand new footage that Disney+ subscribers are in for a wild ride with The Right Stuff, as this live-action historical series will show how the men went from being test pilots and servicemen to becoming the first-ever astronauts. It will also spotlight their personal lives, and the pressure that was put on them and their families as they forged a path for NASA and the future of space exploration. Additional cast members of The Right Stuff include Josh Cooke as Loudon Wainwright Jr., Patrick Fischler as Bob Gilruth, Shannon Lucio as Louise Shepard, Nora Zehetner as Annie Glenn, and Sacha Seberg as Wernher Von Braun. Jordan Woods-Robinson, Rachel Burttram, and Danny Strong also co-star.
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The new series was produced by for National Geographic by Leonardo DiCaprio‘s Appian Way and Warner Bros. Television. Mark Lafferty (Castle Rock, Halt and Catch Fire) serves as showrunner, as well as an executive producer alongside DiCaprio and Appian Way’s Jennifer Davisson. Other executive producers include Will Staples (Shooter), Danny Strong (The Hunger Games franchise), Howard Korder (Boardwalk Empire) and Chris Long (The Americans).
The Right Stuff is based on the 1979 non-fiction book of the same name, by author and journalist Tome Wolfe. This is not the first adaptation of the book, as in 1983 Philip Kaufman (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Invasion of the Body Snatchers) wrote and directed a film based on the book, also under the same name. This film starred Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Sam Shepard, Fred Ward, Dennis Quaid and Barbara Hershey. The film was not considered to be a financial success, but it received widespread critical acclaim. It was nominated for eight Oscars at the 56th Academy Awards and won four.
