The movie’s premise centers on a retired astronaut (Eastwood) who is sent on a final mission to repair a 1960s era satellite before it crashes into the earth. He picks two buddies to accompany him.
The hook is that the geriatric flyboys, played by Tommy Lee Jones and James Garner, never made it into space like Eastwood’s character. This is their only and last chance.
Sources familiar with the production say the crew will spend about 10 days shooting interior shots at the space center’s shuttle simulators, mission control and the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, which is akin to a large swimming pool. One possible outdoor shot is the center’s rocket park, which is near the main gate and a stop on tours conducted by Space Center Houston.
Production will continue in Los Angeles after that.
Space center officials are admitting little other than that the crew will be shooting there. The sets are closed to the public.
Even the knowledgeable and forthcoming Houston Film Commission has little to say. The usually thorough Texas Film Commission website doesn’t even list the movie as being in production.
The cast is said to include James Cromwell, Donald Sutherland, William Devane and Marcia Gaye Harden.
The 1977 TV movie, "Red Alert," was shot at Johnson Space Center and featured Devane.
Recently, movies such as "Apollo 13" and "Armageddon" and an episode of the TV show "Touched By an Angel" have been shot at the center.
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