To Mars and beyond !
The first
Serie. Beau Willimon, the House of Cards showrunner is back with the TV show The First. We met him in Paris during the ten years anniversary of OCS. Interview.
By Jacques Braunstein
He is considered as the master of the political fiction. Volunteer for Bill Clinton campaign during his studies, his play The Ides of March was adapted to screen by Georges Clooney starring Ryan Gosling (2011). Beau Willimon then became the showrunner of the TV show House of Cards. He also wrote the scenario of Mary, Queen of Scots starring Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan which is as much as political as his former creation but this time in costume. It will be released in France in February 27th.
Yet, his last TV show, The First, (aired on Hulu since last September and on OCS in France) move away from the arrangements and conspiracies universe : ” I wrote about twenty plays, he confessed, and the only one which talked about politics had success. This is why I got there. Nevertheless, politics is not my only passion”.
“The First tells the story of the first mission on Mars in the 2030's. ”
With this new creation, he wanted to focus on a positiv adventure. The First tells the story of the first mission on Mars in the 2030’s. A series with great show in which we nevertheless find the slowness and the psychological depth that made the success of the first season of House of Cards.
The casting is lead by the two times oscar winner Sean Penn (Mystic River and Milk), who plays an astronaut with familal issues – his wife committed suicide and his daughter is an addict – and by Natascha McElhone who is used to the TV shows (Californication, Designated Survivor) and starred as a Silicone Valley boss with nerves of steel and who is determined to send him in space no matter what.
Nevertheless, this significant budget series allows dreamy getaways. Special mention to the episode 5, a great flash back on the couple’s life played by Sean Penn and directed by Deniz Gamzé Ergüven (Mustang, Kings).
Aired in the United States on the platform Hulu, which confirms its power with the show, the series is available in France on OCS. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the chanel, Beau Willimon was passing in Paris, in company of Hannah Ware who plays the part of a idealistic biologist whom will also fly to Mars. We met them in the Royal Monceau barricadded because of the Yellow Vests movement, to talk about this extraordinary adventure.
