Kristen Stewart to Play Astronaut Sally Ride in Amazon's 'Challenger' Series

The Twilight star is set to play an astronaut and physicist, Sally Ride, the first US woman to fly in space. The project has landed a limited series order.

The 'Challenger' comes from Maggie Cohn, who will write, executive produce and serve as showrunner for the series. James Hawes will direct this series.

Inspired by Meredith E Bagby's 2023 book 'The New Guys', it was initially developed by creator Cohn at Kyra Sedgwick's Big Swing Productions, which will produce alongside Stewart's Nevermind label and Amblin Television.

In 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly into space. She was later on the presidential commission that looked into the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger accident, which killed seven crew members, reported Deadline.

According to Deadline, 'The Challenger' tells the story of one of the most defining moments in space history, both the unprecedented events leading up to the tragedy, and the shocking investigation that followed. As the members of the 1986 Rogers Commission interrogate the complex inner workings of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to find what, or who, was responsible for the Challenger's doomed fate, the show explores Commission member Ride's personal journey.

It follows her, and the rest of the diverse Astronaut Class of '78, through the ranks of the shuttle program, through initial recruitment and training, professional and personal highs and lows, until her historic glass ceiling moment as she becomes the first American woman in space.

"Meredith, Valerie, and I at Big Swing have been passionately developing this project since 2017, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Amblin and Amazon MGM Studios. There is no one better than Maggie Cohn to bring to life the complex story of the Challenger and the new class of astronauts recruited by NASA in the early 1970s, all through the eyes of an American hero, Sally Ride," said Sedgwick, as quoted by Deadline.

The release date and first look of the movie are awaited.

- ANI