Netflix Picks Up Richard Linklater’s Animated Film APOLLO 10½

Netflix has acquired Richard Linklater’s upcoming animated film, Apollo 10½, the story of which is set against the backdrop of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. The project coincides with the 51st anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11.

The story for Apollo 10½ is inspired by Linklater’s childhood in Houston, and it “attempts to interweave the astronaut and mission control view along with an excited child’s perspective, living near NASA, but mostly watching it on television. The film centers around a kid’s fantasy about being plucked from his average life in suburbia to secretly train for a covert mission to the moon.”

Linklater will direct from a script that he wrote, and the cast for the film includes Jack Black, Zachary Levi, and Glen Powell. Linklater said in a statement:

“It struck me years ago that this was my film to make, from both a chronological and proximity level – I was there, going into 3rd grade. Our unique animation style allows both the conjuring of a world long gone, and the flowing, playful expression of memory and imagination. It’s been a fun, creative journey to incorporate things like 3D graphics into a live action shoot to help bring this story to life. “

The movie combines live-action and computer and hand-drawn animation, which is a similar approach used for his 2001 movie Waking Life.

I’ve been a fan of NASA ever since I was a kid. Hell, I was one of those kids who dreamed up flying up to space in a space shuttle and going to the moon! That being said, this is the kind of story that I know I’m going to connect with, and I’m excited about that.