Alfonso Cuarón wanted to film 2013’s Gravity in space; however, he was unable to do so for two reasons.
Co-written and directed by Cuarón, Gravity released in 2013 to much critical acclaim. The Sandra Bullock and George Clooney-starring picture won a total of seven Oscars at the 86th Academy Awards, including Best Achievement in Visual Effects, Best Achievement in Production Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Achievement in Directing.
Speaking with Empire Magazine, Cuarón said he initially hoped to actually film Gravity in space — a feat that, to date, only a very small handful of films (not including documentaries) have pulled off, the most recent example being 2023’s The Challenge.
There were, however, two major factors that prevented Cuarón from doing so. The first was money, as filming nearly an entire movie in space would likely have to come with a hefty price tag.
“Number two, and the thing that killed the whole conversation, was Sandra,” Cuaròn said. “Because Sandra had already suffered two airplane accidents. Not one, but two. For her, flying is a big sacrifice. And for her the idea of getting into a rocket or something like that, it was a no-no, you know?”
NASA didn’t assist Cuarón in making Gravity
Cuarón said that he and his crew went to NASA for help with filming certain scenes; however, after reading the script, NASA opted not to lend a hand.
“At the beginning, NASA was very helpful with us,” he explained. “We went to Houston. We talked about the space station, which was going to be an important feature of the film. But when they read the script and saw that there was going to be a kind of disaster in space, that is pretty much against NASA’s policy. So they could not support us anymore.”
Gravity is currently available to rent or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, and more streaming services.
