Sunshine (2007)

A team of international astronauts are sent on a dangerous mission to reignite the dying Sun with a nuclear fission bomb in 2057.

Director:

Danny Boyle

Writer:

Alex Garland

Stars:

Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans

1 win & 22 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Cliff Curtis	...	Searle
Chipo Chung	...	Icarus (voice)
Cillian Murphy	...	Robert Capa
Michelle Yeoh	...	Corazon
Hiroyuki Sanada	...	Kaneda
Rose Byrne	...	Cassie
Benedict Wong	...	Trey
Chris Evans	...	Mace
Troy Garity	...	Harvey
Mark Strong	...	Pinbacker
Paloma Baeza	...	Capa's Sister
Archie Macdonald	...	Child
Sylvie Macdonald	...	Child

Storyline

50 years into the future, the Sun begins to die, and Earth is dying as a result. A team of astronauts is sent to revive the Sun - but the mission fails. Seven years later, a new team is sent to finish the mission as mankind's last hope.

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Plot Keywords:

spacecraft | sun | spaceship | mission | astronaut | 

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Taglines:

If it dies, so do we.

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent content and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cillian Murphy and Rose Byrne have worked with Danny Boyle and Alex Garland in the 28 Days/Weeks later movies. Murphy played Jim, a hospital patient & survivor of the original Rage virus epidemic in 28 Days Later... (2002) and Byrne played Major Scarlett Levy, a US Army officer in the movie 28 Weeks Later (2007).

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Goofs

(at around 2 mins) At the beginning of the movie the ship is 36 million miles from the Sun, and thus the Sun would appear about (93/36)^2 = 6.7 times brighter than it would on Earth. But the computer says that at 4% transmission through the screen, the Sun would cause eye damage - despite being four times fainter than it would appear on Earth (and we know that in the story the Sun at Earth is fainter than we observe it today). Still, at 36 million miles, the Sun would only be about 1.3 degrees in angular size - much smaller than one's fist at arm's length.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Capa: Our sun is dying. Mankind faces extinction. Seven years ago the Icarus project sent a mission to restart the sun but that mission was lost before it reached the star. Sixteen months ago, I, Robert Capa, and a crew of seven left earth frozen in a solar winter. Our payload a stellar bomb with a mass equivalent to Manhattan Island. Our purpose to create a star within a star.
[long pause]
Capa: Eight astronauts strapped to the back of a bomb. My bomb. Welcome to the Icarus Two.

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Crazy Credits

Scenes from the film in chronological order are played during the end credits in a small box on the left side of the screen, which moves from the top to the bottom as the credits roll.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies That Need a 3D Remaster (2017)

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Soundtracks

Peggy Sussed
Performed by Underworld
Written by Karl Hyde & Rick Smith
Published by Sherlock Holmes Music Publishing Ltd. / Chysalis Music Group USA
Licensed courtesy of Smith & Hyde Productions t/a Underworldlive.com

User Reviews

Outshining

...any other sci-fi movies brought to the screen. The only bad thing about Sunshine is that it was 10 years too early. The majority of the audience and critics did not get it back then and yes, it bombed at the box office. But we all know that might be in some sense actually a good thing. Quite a lot of outstanding and modern classic movies have not been that commercially successful either...anyway. Starting with the haunting score and of course esp. with adagio in D minor. What an achievement and what a disgrace not getting the recognition or award it deserved. The visuals and cinematography is absolutely breathtaking! Hardly seen anything like that before or after. The usage of light and shadow, the monochrome colors, How the camera captures rays of light, planets etc when the ship drifts in space ... stunning. Just stunning. Great cast and esp. Mr. Cillian Murphy as the lead character guiding us through the emptiness, the hope and Desaster. Coming to the much described and very polarizing ending. It's for sure not everyone's taste but I applaud the director for making such a strong and impactful finale. It leaves u with your emotions all alone & makes u think (as it does throughout the movie with the deep and almost philosophical monologues by Capa).

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight [United States]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 July 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sunshine

Filming Locations:

Stage 12 - Three Mills Studios, Three Mill Lane, Bow, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP26,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$242,964, 22 July 2007

Gross USA:

$3,675,753

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$34,806,812

Company Credits

Production Co:

DNA Films, Ingenious Film Partners, Moving Picture Company (MPC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1