July 8, 2024 (AMC Lincoln Square)July 12, 2024 (United States)
Fly Me to the Moon is a 2024 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Greg Berlanti and written by Rose Gilroy, based on a story by Keenan Flynn and Bill Kirstein. The film stars Scarlett Johansson as Kelly Jones, a marketing specialist, and Channing Tatum as Cole Davis, a NASA launch director. Set against the backdrop of the Apollo 11 mission, the story follows Jones and Davis as they are tasked with creating a fake moon landing in case the actual mission fails.
Premiering on July 8, 2024, at AMC Lincoln Square in New York City, the film was released in theaters on July 12, 2024. Originally planned for a streaming release on Apple TV+, it was moved to a theatrical release after positive early test screenings. The film grossed $42 million worldwide on a production budget of $100 million. Fly Me to the Moon received mixed reviews, with praise for the lead performances but criticism for its implausible plot and inconsistent tone. Its blend of romance and historical drama was also considered uneven by some critics.
Storyline
In late 1968, Manhattan advertising executiveKelly Jones is offered a high-stakes job by Moe Berkus, a covert government operative working for President Richard Nixon. He tasks her with revitalizing NASA's public image amidst waning interest in the Space Race. Under threat of being exposed for her deceptive past, Kelly reluctantly agrees and moves to Cocoa Beach, Florida, with her loyal assistant, Ruby.
Upon arriving, Kelly encounters Cole Davis, the serious and principled launch director at the Kennedy Space Center. They immediately clash over Kelly's unconventional methods to boost NASA's public appeal, including corporate sponsorships and hiring actors to portray scientists. Despite their differences, they begin to develop a mutual respect and attraction.
As NASA prepares for the historic Apollo 11mission, Kelly suggests broadcasting the moon landing using a television camera on the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), a proposal Cole dismisses as impractical. However, Moe secretly endorses the idea and reveals an additional, shadowy directive to Kelly: she must prepare a fake moon landing to be aired if the real mission fails, a project codenamed "Artemis".
Moe pressures Kelly into creating this falsification by threatening to expose her less-than-honest past, as she has skillfully reinvented herself. Being skilled at her job, she arranges that a very talented but virtually unknown director come on board. Finding the most isolated airplane hangar on the base, it is heavily guarded. Everyone involved is sworn into secrecy.
Kelly becomes increasingly uneasy with the deception, especially as she and Cole grow closer. When a key congressional supporter withdraws, jeopardizing NASA's funding, Cole and Kelly team up to win back his vote, ultimately succeeding through Cole's heartfelt appeal to a skeptical senator.
Their partnership blossoms into a romantic relationship. As the Apollo 11 launch nears, Kelly discovers that the fake broadcast is set to air, regardless of the mission's outcome, due to a sabotage of the LEM camera. Overcome with guilt, she confesses everything to Cole, and together, they manage to repair the camera just in time.
During the live broadcast, it is unclear whether audiences are watching the real moon landing or the fake. A stray cat wandering onto the set confirms that the real footage is being transmitted, and the mission is celebrated as a success.
In the end, Moe begrudgingly accepts that the truth prevailed, allowing Kelly to leave her past behind. She reveals her real name, Winnie, to Cole, and they rekindle their romance as the Apollo 11 astronauts safely return to Earth.