Adam Sandler Is an Adrift Astronaut in Netflix’s First Teaser for Spaceman

From Johan Renck, the director of Chernobyl.

Netflix has unveiled a first look at its upcoming sci-fi drama Spaceman, starring Adam Sandler as an astronaut adrift in the cosmos.

The 25-second teaser for Netflix’s Spaceman sees Sandler traversing a forest location on a solitary research mission at the edge of the solar system. A sombre voiceover says: “Just like you, I fled my planet through galaxies, through black holes, through time, and then I found… You.” The film lands on the streamer on March 1.

According to the official synopsis for the film from Netflix, Spaceman follows an astronaut who “realizes that the marriage he left behind might not be waiting for him when he returns to Earth. Desperate to fix things with his wife, he is helped by a mysterious ancient creature he finds hiding in the bowels of his ship.”

The film is based on the sci-fi novel Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař, with Sandler taking the central role of Jakub alongside a supporting cast that includes Carey Mulligan as Jakub’s earthbound wife Lenka and Paul Dano as the mystery creature Hanuš, together with Kunal Nayyar, Lena Olin, and Isabella Rossellini.

Director Johan Renck, who helmed the acclaimed HBO miniseries Chernobyl, spoke highly of the qualities Sandler brought to the role. “I really wanted to have a performance from him that had nothing to do with the Adam Sandler we all know,” he told Tudum. “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.”

Spaceman is the latest project in Netflix’s ongoing partnership with Sandler, following the recent success of coming-of-age comedy You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah and the animated musical adventure Leo, which featured on the streaming service’s 2023 Film Schedule at the start of the year.