Kristen Stewart to star in show about astronaut Sally Ride, marking her first regular role in a TV or streaming series
A drama exploring the story of US astronaut Sally Ride has been greenlit by Amazon MGM Studios, with Kirsten Stewart set to star in her first TV role.
The Challenger has been in development for two years but has now been ordered to series by the streamer, with the show inspired by Meredith Bagby’s 2023 novel The New Guys.
Stewart’s Nevermind Pictures, Big Swing Productions and Amblin Television are producing, with Slow Horses’ James Hawes directing.
Maggie Cohn, who was behind hit drama The Staircase, created the series and is showrunner.
Stewart will star as Ride, who became the first woman to enter space in 1983. The story tracks her early career and her deep involvement in the investigation into the Challenger space shuttle disaster, which killed all of the rocket’s crew.
Peter Friedlander, head of global TV at Amazon MGM Studios, said: “Sally Ride’s courage and brilliance changed history, and we couldn’t imagine a more powerful actor to bring her story to life than Kristen Stewart.
“The Challenger is an inspiring story about breaking barriers, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with Big Swing Productions, Amblin Television, Nevermind Pictures, Maggie Cohn and James Hawes to share it with our global Prime Video audience.”
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