‘Good Night Oppy’: Documentary About the Opportunity Mars Rover to Release in November

Prime Video announced the release date and unveiled a first look image for their upcoming film Good Night Oppy, which brings to life the classic tale of the bond between a historic little robot and the humans on Earth tracking its every discovery. The early still from the film shows Oppy, aka the Mars rover Opportunity, on the red planet in the middle of its trek across Martian soil. The film debuts theatrically on November 4 before jumping over to Prime Video on November 23.

Good Night Oppy tells the true story of the rover Opportunity and its historic 15-year journey across the surface of Mars. Originally planned to scout for only 90 days, the little robot that could, far outlasted its protocol and continued scouting the surface of our neighboring planet for years to come, discovering evidence that water was once on Mars at some point. Along with its twin rover Spirit, it sent back footage that completely changed our perspective on planets beyond our own. During its mission, the crew behind Opportunity forged a bond with the rover from millions of miles away, communicating with it and receiving its perspective of Mars all the way until its declared death in 2020.

Directing the film is Primetime Emmy nominee Ryan White who most recently directed the documentary short Coded as well as Visible: Out on Television. His two Emmy nods came courtesy of the Netflix miniseries The Keepers as well as the HBO feature documentary The Case Against 8. He’ll be joined by his frequent collaborator Jessica Hargrave alongside Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Brandon Carroll, and Matthew Goldberg.

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“We worked closely with our partners at Industrial Light & Magic to create visual effects that will transport audiences to Mars, so I am thrilled that Good Night Oppy will play both in theaters and on Prime Video,” said White in a statement. “Oppy and her human team at JPL deserve to have their story told on the big screen and reach the widest audience possible.” While the film is a proper documentary, it does share a title with a children’s book that offers a more fictionalized account of the rover’s adventures on Mars. Still, the film promises to be something the whole family can enjoy, something Frank and Falvey of Amblin Television hit on in their own statement:

Oppy’s story reminds us that there is no limit to human endeavor when bolstered by community and collaboration. We’re excited that audiences of all ages will have the chance to experience the bond between Oppy and her family on Earth, both on the big screen as well as at home with their own families, over Thanksgiving.

Good Night Oppy releases in theaters on November 4 and on Prime Video on November 23.

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