Synopsis

After a violent storm forces an emergency evacuation from Mars, astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead and left behind. Injured but alive, he must use his botanical and engineering skills to survive inside the abandoned habitat, grow food, restore communication with Earth, and reach a distant landing site. Meanwhile, NASA and Watney's crewmates race to design a rescue mission before his supplies run out.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film adapts Andy Weir's 2011 novel, which first gained attention after being self-published and later became a major commercial success.

• NASA actively collaborated with the production, providing technical advice and access to experts. The agency helped the filmmakers portray realistic habitat systems, Mars exploration technology, food production, and mission operations.

• Several real NASA concepts appear in the story, including a Mars ascent vehicle, habitat modules, rover technology, and methods for growing food in space. The film presents these ideas as fictional future developments built on existing research.

• The Martian landscapes were filmed partly in Wadi Rum, Jordan, whose red rock formations had previously been used as stand-ins for alien worlds. Interior scenes were filmed at Korda Studios in Hungary.

• NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory hosted members of the production team for research. The filmmakers studied the laboratory's working environment and incorporated details of its informal, problem-solving culture into the Earth-based scenes.

• Framestore created hundreds of visual-effects shots for the film, combining computer-generated Mars environments with practical sets and Jordanian desert locations.

• The film received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and awards recognizing its visual and technical work.