While Netflix’s attempt to blend Star Wars and Back to the Future might seem like a worryingly ambitious bit of nostalgia bait, the resulting movie was a surprisingly fun sci-fi original from the streaming service. Ever since Netflix’s massive mystery hit Stranger Things became a success, the streaming service has been understandably attempting to replicate the nostalgic show’s unique appeal. Although it is set in the ‘80s and indebted to the decade’s pop culture, Stranger Things itself is an original property and not a reboot, remake, or re-imagining.
In contrast, many of the biggest shows on streaming are fresh takes on existing franchises that have been around a long time. The biggest Stranger Things replacement, Wednesday, is a re-imagining of the Addams Family franchise from director Tim Burton, while HBO’s biggest show ever is the upcoming Harry Potter reboot, which will adapt the original novel as a season of TV. It has only been a little over 20 years since the original Harry Potter movie series began, but the cable network is betting big on audience nostalgia.
Netflix made a similar, but riskier choice when the streaming service tapped Stranger Things producer Shawn Levy to direct The Adam Project in 2022. A unique blend of Star Wars and the Back to the Future franchise, this original sci-fi movie saw Ryan Reynolds’s titular fighter pilot steal a jet that can travel through time in a dystopian 2050, allowing him to meet with his 12-year-old self. Reynolds’ older Adam must enlist his younger self’s help in stopping the assassination of his wife, Zoe Saldaña’s Laura, which allows a villain to gain control of time travel.
The Adam Project Is One of Netflix’s Most Underrated Original Sci-fi Movies
If that plot sounds a little knotty, that’s because it is, but The Adam Project never lets its continuity snarls get in the way of a ripping good sci-fi story. While sci-fi world building has gotten a lot more ambitious on the small screen in recent years, thanks in part to hit Netflix shows like Altered Carbon, The Adam Project is light on the hard science undergirding its story and more focused on the relationship between both versions of Adam and the blockbuster story they inhabit.
Shane Carruth’s Primer the movie is not, but this relaxed approach to sci-fi storytelling fits the movie’s nostalgic ‘80s feel. Reviewers at the time compared The Adam Project to both The Last Starfighter and Tron, as well as more famous ‘80s franchises like Back to the Future and the Star Wars movies, and it is easy to see how much the decade’s pop culture influenced Levy.
The Adam Project Proves Star Wars Has An Exciting Future Ahead
Luckily, The Adam Project is more than a walk-through of Levy’s many influences. Like Netflix’s similarly nostalgic Fear Street horror trilogy, the movie functions as a fun standalone genre exercise for younger viewers who aren’t familiar with any of its earlier inspirations, and The Adam Project could even be a gateway into exploring more ‘80s pop culture for new viewers.
Levy went on to direct Reynolds again in the 2024 blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, a massive critical and commercial success that managed to earn back its astronomical budget and impress reviewers upon its release. This may well be part of the reason that Levy was then tapped to direct Star Wars: Starfighter.
Set to be released in May 2027, Star Wars: Starfighter stars Ryan Gosling, Matt Smith, Aaron Pierre, Amy Adams, and Mia Goth in its ensemble cast. While little is known about the movie’s story, the fact that Netflix’s The Adam Project so successfully blended Star Wars with Back to the Future proves the creators picked the right director for this installment.
- Release Date
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March 9, 2022
- Runtime
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106 minutes
- Director
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Shawn Levy
