A Million Miles Away: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Astronaut

Based on the book "Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut" by José Hernández, on September 15th, Prime Video will globally release the new movie by Mexican director Alejandra Márquez Abella (known for "The Good Girls" and "Northern Skies Over Empty Space"), who adapted this story alongside Bettina Gilois and Hernán Jiménez.

"A Million Miles Away" is aimed at showcasing that dreams, no matter how big, can come true, and it is starring Michael Peña.

According to Prime Video, Alejandra Márquez Abella "has created a dazzling tribute to the loyalty and tenacity of the entire Hernandez family, as well as anyone who dares to dream." "A Million Miles Away" follows the real-life story of NASA flight engineer José Hernández, as well as his devoted family who are proud migrant farmworkers. Over several decades, the film chronicles his journey from a rural town in Michoacán to the fields in the San Joaquin Valley. With unwavering support from his parents, family, friends, and teachers, and his determination, he reaches the opportunity to achieve his seemingly impossible goal for many.

In the Science, Culture, and Technology supplement of the newspaper La Reforma, the Obsidiana, Márquez Abella commented that "A MILLION MILES AWAY is very different from my previous films. In THE GOOD GIRLS or NORTHERN SKIES OVER EMPTY SPACE, I focused on characters that I call despicable and that could have a villainous aura for the society we live in. Instead, José's character is an admirable person who overcame his own insecurities to fulfill his dreams." She also highlighted that it's an inspiring story. "This story is a breath of fresh air and hope, it's inspiring in every one of its elements. The dimension of this film used to overwhelm me, but José Hernández's life inspired me. Now, when I have fears or doubts, I tell myself: if José made it to NASA, why couldn't I do whatever I set my mind to?"

A month before its platform release, a trailer was presented, showcasing the level of persistence this character exhibited to become an astronaut. "For the past 10 years, I've applied to the space program 12 times and almost gave up after each and every rejection," we hear. Hernández was ultimately accepted into NASA's 19th group, "The Peacocks," in 2004 and served as a mission specialist for STS-128 on the space shuttle Discovery in August 2009.

Variety comments that "A Million Miles Away" will premiere during National Hispanic Heritage Month. The film will also be shown in some movie theaters.

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