“The Last Man on the Moon” Apollo 17 Commander doc release sate set

PanARMENIAN.Net - “The Last Man on the Moon”, a documentary about Apollo 17 Commander Eugene “Gene” Cernan, has been set for a Feb. 26 release in U.S. theaters and digital platforms, Variety reports.

The announcement by Mark Stewart Productions and Gravitas Ventures comes on the 43rd anniversary of Apollo 17’s mission to the moon. The film debuted in March at SXSW.

Gravitas Ventures will handle the digital and VOD release of the film on the same day it hits theaters and premieres will take place in Washington D.C. and Houston in the days leading up to the release of the film.

“This film is the story of a boy from ‘Any Town, USA,’ who grew up in a family of modest means and with a seemingly impossible dream to fly,” said Cernan. “As fate would have it I lived that dream, becoming a Naval Aviator, which in turn gave me the opportunity to call the moon my home. I do hope people will enjoy the film, but far more important to me is my desire to inspire the passion in the hearts and minds of future generations of young men and women to see their own impossible dreams become a reality.”

Cernan was the lunar module pilot on the Apollo 10 mission in 1969 and became the 11th and final person to walk on the Apollo 17 mission, which featured extensive collection of geologic material with crewmate Harrison Schmitt. He published a memoir in 1999 titled “The Last Man on the Moon.”

“It’s been a privilege to work with such a charismatic and historical figure as Gene Cernan,” said director and co-producer Mark Craig. “Many films have been made about space and going to the moon, and so I knew we would have to venture both deeper and bigger than ever before – both in human terms and as creative documentary for the big screen.”

The documentary includes archival footage of Cernan at the launch pad at Cape Kennedy, the Arlington National Cemetery and at his Texas ranch where he tries to find respite from a past that refuses to let him go. The film features exclusive interviews with former astronauts, such as Apollo 12 crew-members Alan Bean and Dick Gordon and Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell, as well as NASA Flight Director Gene Kranz and Director of Flight Operations Chris Kraft.

“The Last Man on the Moon” is produced by Gareth Dodds and Patrick Mark, exec produced by Mark Stewart and co-produced by Mark Craig and Sara Giles. The deal for digital rights was negotiated by Dan Braun from Submarine Entertainment, and Nolan Gallagher from Gravitas Ventures.