Brad Pitt Spirals Into the Void in ‘Ad Astra’ Mondo Poster
Director James Gray’s ambitious space odyssey “Ad Astra” was released back in September, and while its Oscar and year-end buzz has quieted, the science-fiction epic has all the makings of a cult classic to be revered for eternity. In tribute to the film starring Brad Pitt as an astronaut and lonely island of a man on a dark night of the soul across the cosmos on an elusive mission, illustrator Greg Ruth has created a Mondo poster that captures the dizzying spirit of Gray’s cosmic tone poem. Check out the full poster, exclusive to IndieWire, below.
“I was lucky enough to catch ‘Ad Astra’ in the theaters early on, and fell in love with the themes of the film right away,” said Ruth. “It’s rare to see a film set in this uncompromising, expansive landscape that is so vast and overwhelming tell a story that is at all times quiet, personal, and intimate. It balances those macro and micro elements so well.”
Ruth also wanted to express the elemental, father-son dynamic at the movie’s center, as Pitt’s character journeys from Earth and into deep space to track down his father (Tommy Lee Jones), a scientist gone rogue on the outskirts of Neptune. The script is also penned by Gray, along with co-writer Ethan Gross.
“For me, the film was about the generational divide between the father and son; their difficult and fraught relationship, and all the loss and pain they’ve suffered together and even more so while apart,” Ruth said. “The questions of whether meaning exists outside, or right before us. The loneliness in coming to either conclusion and the difficulty in letting go of our most toxic and dangerous selves, even when we can’t avoid loving them to our own endangerment is something I personally found extremely relatable and poignant. It’s a film that continues to pulse and echo in you long after it’s over.”
Below, check out that poster. “Ad Astra” is now available on digital platforms and lands on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 17. Also, check out IndieWire’s interview with James Gray here.
