As a long-time gamer and movie enthusiast, I’ve always been intrigued by the behind-the-scenes stories of film production. The tale of Greg Berlanti and his recruitment of Ray Romano for “Fly Me to the Moon” is one that particularly piqued my interest.
In 2022, Apple Studios obtained the rights to “Project Artemis,” a movie set against the backdrop of the space race with a mysterious plot twist. Originally, Jason Bateman was set to direct, while Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans were attached as co-stars. However, creative disagreements and scheduling conflicts resulted in Bateman and Evans leaving the project. Apple Studios then approached Greg Berlani, an experienced producer with only a few feature film directing credits, to take over. Swiftly, Berlanti shaped the lunar landing film according to his vision, attracting an impressive cast consisting of Johansson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson, and Ray Romano to join her.
Greg Berlanti’s Handwritten Recruit of Ray Romano
Instead of “To land Romano, Berlani went old school,” you could paraphrase it as “Berlani opted for a traditional approach to recruit Romano. He wrote him a heartfelt letter in an attempt to bring him aboard ‘Fly Me to the Moon’.”
During the first half of the Zoom call, he expressed his surprise and confusion, saying things like, “No one has ever written me a letter like this before. What’s the point? This feels strange.” At the “Fly Me to the Moon” press event, Berlanti shared with ComicBook his intentions. He wanted to express how significant his work was to him as an artist and how he saw the person on the call embodying many NASA personnel. I enjoy pursuing such individuals because you never know what might come of it. Fortunately, this time my efforts paid off.
Romano took on the role of Henry Smalls, an experienced NASA engineer deeply committed to space travel and making it possible for a man to walk on the moon. He becomes a guiding figure for Cole Davis, played by Tatum, in his position as NASA’s launch director.
I’ve always been captivated by Henry, a fictional character whose essence is drawn from the lives of remarkable NASA figures, particularly Rocco Petrone. In the late ’60s, Petrone held the esteemed position of launch operations director at Kennedy Space Center. Later in his distinguished career, he became the Apollo program director at NASA Headquarters. These experiences shaped Henry’s character, merging real-life stories and passion for space exploration into one compelling persona.
Down at NASA, there was a revered man named Rocco Petrone who held the position of original launch director or head of launch operations. He’s deeply missed and frequently appears in footage. Berlani shared, “He reminds me of Ray, and when I visit, I can’t help but notice how much he resembles him.” For me, Rocco embodied countless individuals from my own family tree and the selfless patriots who dedicated their lives to their country, striving to make the impossible a reality while maintaining their everyday American essence.
In addition to their physical similarity, Berlani highlighted Romano’s unique charisma as the perfect finishing touch for his selection.
Berlanti described him as naturally comic, able to make humor out of seemingly ordinary lines. Even when the script wasn’t intended to be humorous, his delivery would still leave us in stitches.
Fly Me to the Moon is now in theaters.
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2024-07-15 21:09