Is this the film industry’s final frontier?

Steven Cutts looks at whether movies shot in space will be a small step or a giant leap for filmmakers

A view of Earth over the lunar horizon (Getty)

Going to the movies has long been about the experience of another world. Now, in the early 21st century, some in the film industry are about to take this to a new level.

Outer space is seriously being considered as a proving ground for the next generation of movie stars, and there are detailed plans to shoot both in orbit and – in the near future – on the surface of the moon.

Low-to-zero gravity film production is not without precedent. In 1995, innovative director Ron Howard gave a new edge to his Tom Hanks feature Apollo 13 by actually creating a weightless environment to shoot in. Nasa engineers found that it is possible to simulate zero gravity for a short period (about 25 seconds) in a wide-bodied aircraft that flies along a high altitude, parabolic trajectory.