Who directed the 1995 film Apollo 13?
Ron Howard directed Apollo 13, released on the 30th of June, 1995. The screenplay was written by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert, adapted from Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger's 1994 book Lost Moon.
Questions about Apollo 13 (film)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How much did Apollo 13 make at the box office?
Apollo 13 grossed $355,237,933 worldwide during its theatrical releases, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 1995. Its opening weekend earned $25,353,380 from 2,347 theaters.
Did Apollo 13 win any Academy Awards?
Apollo 13 won two Academy Awards out of nine nominations: Best Film Editing and Best Sound. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Ed Harris, and Best Original Score for James Horner.
How did the filmmakers film the weightless scenes in Apollo 13?
The weightless scenes were filmed aboard a Boeing KC-135 reduced-gravity aircraft, the same method NASA uses to train astronauts. Ron Howard obtained three hours and 54 minutes of filming time across 612 zero-g maneuvers, with each pass providing about 23 seconds of weightlessness.
Is the phrase 'failure is not an option' a real quote from the Apollo 13 mission?
No, Gene Kranz never said "failure is not an option" during the actual mission. Screenwriter Bill Broyles derived the line from an interview with Flight Dynamics Officer Jerry Bostick, who described how controllers "just calmly laid out all the options, and failure was not one of them."
Is Apollo 13 historically accurate?
The film takes several documented liberties with history. The actual words spoken were "Houston, we've had a problem" rather than "we have a problem," and the film largely omits Flight Director Glynn Lunney, whose Black Team handled the most critical hours after the explosion. Astronaut Ken Mattingly later called Lunney "by himself, a hero" for the leadership he showed that night.