A teenage boy born on Mars travels to Earth in this ambitious box office failure
In short: The Space Between Us tells the story of Gardner, a boy raised on Mars who journeys to Earth to find his father. Despite its high-concept premise and a cast featuring Gary Oldman, the 2017 film struggled with critics and became a notable box office bomb, grossing only a fraction of its budget.
The film's journey to the screen was long and turbulent. Originally conceived in 1999 as a project titled Mainland, the story of a moon-born teenager languished in development for over a decade. By 2014, the project resurfaced as Out of This World, eventually landing at STX Entertainment. Production finally commenced in September 2015 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with director Peter Chelsom at the helm.
The narrative follows Gardner, who is born on Mars during a secret colonization mission led by billionaire Nathaniel Shepard. Raised by scientists, Gardner eventually hacks a robot to uncover clues about his father, leading him to connect with a girl named Tulsa on Earth. His quest to meet his father is complicated by his physiology; his body, adapted to Mars, cannot withstand Earth's atmospheric pressure, forcing a race against time to save his life.
Upon its February 3, 2017 release, the film faced a harsh reception. Critics panned the movie, citing poor science and weak execution, resulting in a 17% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Commercially, it was a disaster, grossing approximately $14.8 million worldwide against a $30 million budget. Its theatrical run was particularly difficult, experiencing one of the largest theater drops in history during its third weekend.
Despite the negative critical consensus, the film remains a curious case of a high-concept sci-fi romance that failed to find its footing. While some reviewers labeled it a guileless love story, others criticized the performances and the scientific premise. Ultimately, the film serves as a reminder of the immense gap that can exist between a compelling initial concept and the final, realized product on screen.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Space Between Us (film)
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