Will Arnett will star opposite Kristen Stewart in the Amazon Prime Video limited series about NASA astronaut Sally Ride and the Challenger shuttle disaster.
The series was officially released on Amazon in March, with Stewart playing the role of Ride. The show was inspired by the book “The New Guys” by Meredith E. Bugbee.
The show’s official logline reads:
“‘The Challenger’ tells the fascinating story of one of the most defining moments in the history of the universe: an unprecedented event leading up to a tragedy and a shocking investigation that followed. As we interrogate the complex inner workings of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to find out who, or who, is responsible for the deaths, the show explores the personal secrets of board member Sally Ride (Stewart). We follow members of the astronaut class of ’78 through their ranks in the Shuttle program, their initial recruitment and training, their professional and personal ups and downs, to Sally’s historic glass ceiling moment as the first American woman to go into space.”
Arnett stars as George Abbey, described as an “influential NASA employee who has been called the architect of the modern astronaut corps.”
Arnett’s recent television credits include “The Madison,” “The Morning Show,” “Twisted Metal” and “BoJack Horseman.” He has been nominated for seven Emmy Awards, including two nominations for Best Animated Series for “BoJack.” He received four nominations as a guest star on “30 Rock” and another nomination for his role on “Arrested Development.” Arnett’s feature credits include “Is This Thing On?” Both “The Lego Movie” and “The Lego Batman Movie,” as well as “Despicable Me.”
He is repped by CAA and Sloan Offer.
In addition to serving as executive producer and showrunner, Maggie Cohn is also involved in creating the series. Kyra Sedgwick and Valerie Stadler will serve as executive producers at Big Swing Productions, where the project was originally developed. Bagby is also an executive producer, with Stewart, Dylan Meyer and Maggie McLean also joining the Nevermind production banner. Daryl Frank and Justin Falvey will executive produce for Amblin Television. James Hawes (“Slow Horses,” “Black Mirror”) will serve as director and executive producer.
