Adam Sandler Finds His Next Dramatic Role as an Astronaut Trying to Save His Marriage in “Spaceman ”First Look

Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano star in Netflix's 'Spaceman'

Adam Sandler's next role has major gravity.

The 57-year-old comedian stars in a first look at Netflix's sci-fi drama Spaceman, in which he plays an astronaut fighting to save his marriage on Earth from far beyond the confines of his home planet.

"Six months into a solitary research mission to the edge of the solar system, an astronaut, Jakub (Sandler), realizes that the marriage he left behind might not be waiting for him when he returns to Earth," a synopsis reads.

"Desperate to fix things with his wife, Lenka (Carey Mulligan), he is helped by a mysterious creature from the beginning of time he finds hiding in the bowels of his ship."

That creature, named Hanuš, is voiced by Paul Dano. He "works with Jakub to make sense of what went wrong before it is too late," the synopsis adds.

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In the short first-look video, Sandler's Jakub can be seen wading through a shallow body of water, surrounded by trees, while in a spacesuit.

"Just like you, I fled my planet," he says in a voiceover. "Through galaxies, through black holes, through time."

"And then I found ... you," Jakub concludes, as the camera zooms in on his face, protected behind a space helmet.

Directed by Johan Renck and written by Colby Day, Spaceman is based on the 2017 book Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař. Kunal Nayyar, Lena Olin and Isabella Rossellini also star.

“Spaceman began as a short story that I wrote in my last year of college,” Kalfař told Netflix. “Originally, it was just a punch line about an American astronaut who was stranded in orbit when he received a call from his wife asking for a divorce.”

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Spaceman is co-produced by Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, Peter Kiernan, Michael Parets, Tim Headington, Lia Buman and Max Silva, with an executive-producing team of Renck, 57, plus Ben Ormand and Barry Bernardi.

The film marks Sandler's latest dramatic role, four years after his gripping performance in 2019's Uncut Gems. Last year, he earned a SAG Award nomination for his performance in the Netflix sports film Hustle.

“I really wanted to have a performance from him that had nothing to do with the Adam Sandler we all know,” Renck told Netflix. “I don’t think people understand how [although] he may come across as funny and sweet and all that, he’s very intelligent, really smart, profound.”

As for the "incredible" Mulligan, 38, the filmmaker praised the actress's "technical skills" and "tremendous authenticity," adding, “I love her as Lenka. She’s such a big part of this film and does such an extraordinary job.”

Renck added of Dano, 39, “Paul was the first thing that came up in thinking about [the creature]. He has this peculiar cadence when he’s speaking, his careful formulation of words, and his very unique voice.”

Spaceman is on Netflix March 1.

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