Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the producers of the upcoming National Geographic Mars miniseries opened up about their project and the possibility of humans colonizing the Red Planet. The six-part series will debut November 13th.
The miniseries is built on a divided concept. The episodes will feature scenes from both worlds. For the Martian half of the show, the producers built a special module and hired actors to portray the first colonists. The Earth half will feature interviews with the likes of Charles Bolden, Scott Kelly, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Elon Musk.
Brian Grazer and Ron Howard present the habitation modules in detail, some of the elements featured in the show being educated guesses of how things will look like on the Red Planet. As the two executive producers have collaborated before on successful projects like From Earth to the Moon, Apollo 13, and A Brilliant Mind, the miniseries should bring valuable insight on the entire process.
Upon being asked about why Mars is such a hot topic, the two responded that the whole idea of exploring other planets had gained gargantuan proportions after influential men like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk started pitching it. The fact that President Obama was more than eager to embrace the Mars colonization plans also helped.
Moreover, the Red Planet has always been a source of fascination. The exotic landscape and the unknown dangers lurking in the canyons have provided Hollywood with countless of materials for blockbusters. Now, a Mark Wahlberg movie does not cut it anymore, and humanity is ready to explore the planet.
The goal of the miniseries is to explain the Mars mission. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard want to tell the world that the upcoming colonization mission will feature unique adventures and breathtaking discoveries while reshaping the geopolitical status of the planet.
Furthermore, Howard declared that his personal intention was also to help people expand the limits of their imagination.
When asked if they would volunteer for the Mars mission, both producers answered no. Howard did mention that Scott Kelly told him that he would not refuse the opportunity, but neither he nor Grazer imagine themselves on route for the Red Planet.
The first episode of the mini-series will air next Sunday, November 13th.
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