First Man release date: When is First Man released in cinemas in the UK and US?

Fans of space movies and biopics can finally rejoice – they have a movie which marries the two.

With the success of movies like Interstellar and Gravity, space is certainly the next frontier of popular film.

But the story of First Man is far from fictitious; it focusses on the real story of astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.

Read on to find out all the details of First Man, including the UK and USA release dates.

When is First Man out in the UK and USA?

Fans on both sides of the Atlantic can breathe easy, they have the same release date – October 12, 2018.

The autumnal release coincides with Bad Times at the El Royale and Mandy (starring Nicholas Cage) in the UK, giving movie buffs plenty to pick from that weekend.

The actual mission was a summertime affair, with a launch on July 16, 1969, taking eight days to complete.

While simultaneous release dates are often good for beating spoilers, the story of First Man is already well spoiled – it is one of the most well-known accomplishments in human history.

What is the plot of First Man?

While the story is one already well known, the details behind the personal life of Armstrong before he took to the moon may not be as ubiquitous.

First Man focusses on Neil Armstrong during the years 1961-1969.

“A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost—on Armstrong and on the nation—of one of the most dangerous missions in history.”

The movie was written by Academy Award winner Josh Singer (Spotlight), the produced by Wyck Godfrey & Marty Bowen (The Twilight Saga, The Fault in Our Stars).

Damien Chazelle is the director, having worked with star Ryan Gosling previously on La La Land.

Who is in the cast of First Man?

Playing Neil Armstrong is everyone’s favourite man, Ryan Gosling.

Claire Foy, who rose to fame for her role as Queen Elizabeth in The Queen, plays his wife Janet Armstrong.

Jason Clarke plays Ed White, the first American to walk in space, whose death during a pre-launch test for the first manned Apollo mission will certainly be an emotional point in the First Man movie.

Corey Stoll plays Buzz Aldrin, Armstrong’s co-astronaut and the second man to walk on the moon.

The cast also includes Kyle Chandler as Deke Slayton, one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts, who became NASA’s first Chief of the Astronaut Office, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Lukas Haas, Shea Whigham, Brian d’Arcy, Pablo Schreiber, Cory Michael Smith, J. D. Evermore, John David Whalen, Ethan Embry, Skyler Bible, Ben Owen, Ciarán Hinds, Shawn Eric Jones, William Gregory Lee, and Steve Coulter.

Olivia Hamilton and Kris Swanberg star as Patricia White (Ed’s wife) and Marilyn See (Elliot’s wife).

First Man’s casting is clearly in contrast to a movie like Hidden Figures, which sought to expose the invisible workforce (women of colour specifically) behind incredible space exploration.

Whether these same people were at work behind the scenes of First Man is not addressed by the movie, which has a very narrow focus on Armstrong’s life and experience specifically.

And whether the movie itself suffers for this remains to be seen -judgements will be reserved and the movie’s stars will undoubtedly give impactful performances.

First Man is out in UK and US cinemas on October 12, 2018.