Kristen Stewart’s New Series ‘The Challenger’ Gets the Go-Ahead from Amazon

Amazon Greenlights Kristen Stewart-Led Astronaut Series

Amazon has officially approved the development of a new astronaut series starring Kristen Stewart, titled The Challenger.

The project, crafted by Maggie Cohn, known for her work on The Staircase, will see her serve as the writer, executive producer, and showrunner. It is based on Meredith E. Bagby’s 2023 book, The New Guys, and was originally developed at Kyra Sedgwick’s Big Swing Productions. The production will also involve Stewart’s Nevermind label and Amblin Television.

Sedgwick and Valerie Stadler will executive produce for Big Swing Productions, alongside Stewart, Dylan Meyer, and Maggie McLean for Nevermind. Amblin Television’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will join them, with Cohn, Bagby, and director James Hawes also contributing to the executive production team.

The series focuses on Dr. Sally Ride, who became the first American woman to fly into space in 1978 and later served on the Presidential Commission investigating the Challenger disaster in 1986, which claimed the lives of seven crew members.

The Challenger delves into the pivotal events leading up to the tragedy and the subsequent investigation by the Rogers Commission. It portrays Ride’s personal journey and her experiences with the diverse Astronaut Class of ’78, documenting their recruitment, training, and the significant challenges they faced on their path to making history.

“Meredith, Valerie, and I at Big Swing have been passionately developing this project since 2017, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Amblin and Amazon MGM Studios,” said Sedgwick. “There is no one better than Maggie Cohn to bring to life the complex story of the Challenger and the new class of astronauts recruited by NASA in the early 1970s, all through the eyes of an American hero, Sally Ride.”

Peter Friedlander, Head of Global Television at Amazon MGM Studios, remarked, “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.”

The agreement for the series was negotiated by WME, representing Amblin Television and Stewart, and CAA, representing Sedgwick, Big Swing Productions, and Cohn.