Michelle Williams to star as astronaut Christa McAuliffe in The Challenger

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger was launched from Cape Canaveral. Seventy-three seconds after takeoff, the shuttle exploded and all seven astronauts onboard were killed, including Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire high school teacher who was selected from thousands of applicants to participate in the NASA Teacher in Space Project.

Deadline has reported that Michelle Williams (VENOM) is set to star as Christa McAuliffe in THE CHALLENGER, a "biopic of sorts" which will be directed by Martin Zandvliet (LAND OF MINE) and written by Jayson Rothwell (POLAR). After McAuliffe's death, she continued to serve as an inspiration for teachers around the world, with schools being named in her honor and scholarships established in her memory. She was also posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. In a statement, producer Ben Renzo said: 

We are more than humbled and extremely grateful for the opportunity to help tell the story of Christa McAuliffe and the Challenger mission. Christa McAuliffe’s legacy deserves the strength, courage, experience and humanity that Michelle Williams brings to the role. The entire Argent team is honored and eager to responsibly capture and share the events and personal journeys of those surrounding this important historical moment with audiences around the world to help remember and further appreciate the sacrifices Christa and rest of the Challenger crew made to further our journey into space.

Michelle Williams will next be seen in VENOM opposite Tom Hardy and Riz Ahmed on October 5th.