Seeing red:
New drama from House Of Cards creator.
“Any time people venture into the unknown, there is a cost.” These are the words of astronaut Tom Hagerty, a character played by Sean Penn in The First, a new US drama from Beau Willimon, the creator of House Of Cards.
In this series, set in the near future, Hagerty is a member of the first manned mission to Mars, which is directed by the visionary aerospace magnate, Laz Ingram (Natascha McElhone, Californication). As his words indicate, the drama underscores the inevitable danger that such a ground-breaking voyage entails.
Penn, whose debut novel was published this year, has won two Best Actor Oscars – for Mystic River and Milk. However, The First is his first major TV role since he starred as Eric in two episodes of Friends in 2001.
Set in the 2030s, to begin with the eight-episode series remains largely Earth-bound.
The drama, which also features Anna Jacoby-Heron (who plays Hagerty’s daughter), LisaGay Hamilton, Rey Lucas, Keiko Agena, Oded Fehr, and Hannah Ware, centres on the astronauts’ preparation for the trip to the Red Planet and the strains it puts on relationships with their loved ones.
But as it progresses, The First also looks at the difficulties inherent in embarking on the concept of interplanetary colonisation.
Willimon begins by underlining his delight that the production has
pulled off the enormous coup of luring Penn back to TV after nearly two decades devoted entirely to movies.
“I have such deep admiration for Sean’s immense talent and extraordinary body of work. I feel very lucky to be collaborating with an artist of his calibre,” he says.
Willimon goes on to outline the plot of The First.
“It’s a story that takes place on Earth and initially captures how the astronauts get to the starting line. We put a lot of focus on people’s families, their loved ones, and their own demons.”
He says The First is as much about humanity as a Mars mission.
“It’s a story about the human spirit, about our indomitable need to reach for unknown horizons, about people working toward the greatest pioneering achievement in human history.”
But, adds Willimon, who also wrote Ides Of March, the political drama starring George Clooney, “The First is also about the cost of that vision, the danger and sacrifice – emotional, psychological, and physical – that’s required to achieve it. It’s about how ordinary, imperfect people band together and overcome a myriad of obstacles to grasp the extraordinary.”
In addition, The First establishes the striking difference between the fertility of the Earth and the harsh environment of the Red Planet.
Willimon says, “I want to set up this dialectic between the lush, vibrant, teeming Earth and the cold, desolate look of Mars.”
The First may seem like science fiction, but Willimon believes the first manned mission to Mars could take place sooner than we imagine.
“The only thing preventing us from doing it is popular will and funding,” he says. “When we’re talking about the future, we’re talking about the very near future.”
The writer thinks The First has a political subtext about what we are capable of when we pull together.
“I believe every story is political, whether it’s about politics or not. Oftentimes, if you’re working on something that isn’t overtly political, your political beliefs and world view are still seeping into every word you write.
“My general sense of the writers I know is that we’re hyper aware that even if you’re not doing a political show – no matter what genre or what characters you’re writing – that there are political implications in every narrative choice you make.”
Willimon acknowledges that The First could hardly be more different from the TV series with which he made his name.
“In a lot of ways, it’s a 180-degree departure from House Of Cards for me. “House Of Cards asked, ‘When the worst of humanity assumes power, what does that look like?’ Well, we know. It’s happening before our very eyes and not just on television.”
By contrast, he continues, “The First is a story that reflects a lot of the facets of life we’re all going through, whatever we’re trying to accomplish, whatever we’re striving for.”
The writer closes with the hope that, ultimately, The First could prove inspirational to audiences.
“There are no guns in this. There’s no murder. We’re in a time now where these sorts of stories that inspire us to be the best version of ourselves are really necessary.”
“I believe every story is political, whether it’s about politics or not.”
– Beau Willimon