Knowing this, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) must get to work and “science the shit” out of a planet where nothing grows and his only “company” is the abundance of disco music left by his commander …

The Oscar-winner, who stars in the highly anticipated Ridley Scott space drama The Martian, revealed he never liked the idea of space travel as a child, finding the concept too restrictive. Watney faces a seemingly endless series of daunting obstacles if he is ever to step foot back on Earth – and Damon’s performance allows the audience to share his disappointments and victories. The actors giggled and asked questions about how the astronauts watched movies and what they did when they were bored.

When a torrential storm hits the planet, the crew is forced to abandon the mission and head back to Earth. The cinematography is by Dariusz Wolski while Harry Gregson-Williams handles the score.

In a Q&A on the Inverse website, Weir also says the movie astronaut’s efforts to extract water were “needlessly complex”, because it turns out there’s more ice in Martian soil than had been previously thought.

Ridley, famous for space-themed films from Alien to Prometheus, said he was pleased to have received an picture from the crew aboard the worldwide Space Station, who were treated to a special screening of the film. Sure, Watney’s fighting for survival, but he’s fighting with Abba, David Bowie and Donna Summer as his inspirational mixtape.

Ridley has previously directed acclaimed films including Blade Runner and Gladiator.

Currently, NASA is setting up everything so that in a future, humans can enjoy a journey to Mars. The film is starred by Matt Damon and he plays a role where he has to survive on Mars for more than a year.

To celebrate the release of the film in cinemas on the 30th of September, we’ve got five very cool gift bags to give away. But The Martian absolutely succeeds on the terms it sets out: it’s an amusing, dynamic and visually captivating space odyssey that positively sparkles on the big screen.