This morning, we got a beautiful brand new trailer for Ridley Scott's The Martian, the upcoming 20th Century Fox sci-fi drama about an astronaut stranded alone on Mars after a catastrophic evacuation. Based on Andy Weir's novel of the same name, The Martian also stars Jessica Chastain, Michael Pena, Sebastian Stan, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kate Mara. 

Yesterday, Damon, Scott and Weir joined astronaut Drew Feustel and NASA Director of Planetary Sciences Jim Green for a Q&A and screened the first 50 minutes of the film for the press before heading over to Jet Propulsion Lab for interviews and an on-the-ground look at NASA's real-life efforts on the mission to Mars. Check back soon for my thoughts on the footage and what I learned at the event, but for now you can watch some highlights from the Q&A  and peruse some photos from the event below.

the-martian-jpl-event-ridley-scott-matt-damon
Image via 20th Century Fox
the-martian-jpl-event-matt-damon
Image via 20th Century Fox
the-martian-matt-damon-jpl
Image via NASA/Bill Ingalls
matt-damon-the-martian-nasa
Image via NASA/Bill Ingalls
the-martian-event-matt-damon-ridley-scott
Image via 20th Century Fox
the-martian-ridley-scott
Image via 20th Century Fox
the-great-wall-matt-damon
Image via 20th Century Fox
the-martian-matt-damon
Image via 20th Century Fox
the-martian-matt-damon-ridley-scott
Image via 20th Century Fox

Here’s the official synopsis for The Martian:

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return. Based on a best-selling novel, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, THE MARTIAN features a star studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Peña, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover.