Tom Hanks’ Apollo 13 Becomes a PVOD Hit After Artemis II Safe Return Home

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We enjoyed having you on board! The Artemis II mission has safely returned to Earth after a successful trip around the moon. All four astronauts are back without any issues, and people around the world are celebrating the achievement.

Following the recent success of the Artemis II mission, interest in the 1995 film Apollo 13 is rising. FlixPatrol reports the movie climbed the rental charts on Apple TV+ over the weekend, reaching positions 11 and 12 globally. It’s also doing well in the United States, currently ranked at number 13 – a fitting number considering the source material.

Apollo 13 Is One of the Greatest Sci-History Movies Ever Made

Although the movie Apollo 13 is frequently described as a completely accurate portrayal of events, that’s not entirely true. While the film does take some artistic license, it’s mostly based on the real story of the Apollo 13 mission. That mission famously turned into a fight for survival when an oxygen tank blew up during the trip to the moon, severely damaging the spacecraft. The film, directed by Ron Howard, shows both the astronauts’ attempts to fix the problem and the efforts of mission control on Earth to bring them home safely.

Featuring Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon as the astronauts trying to return to Earth, Apollo 13 also stars Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan, and Gary Sinise. The film earned $355 million in theaters and currently boasts a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Over thirty years after its release, Apollo 13 remains a truly exceptional historical film.

Apollo 13 Inspired Several Iconic Sci-Fi Films

While inspired by the true story of Apollo 13, many fictional stories have followed in its footsteps. A prime example is Ridley Scott’s 2015 film, The Martian, which is based on Andy Weir’s novel. Similar to Apollo 13, The Martian centers around an astronaut who is stranded in space – but this time, he’s completely alone on Mars and trying to find a way home. It shares comparable themes of survival and ingenuity.

Now that the Artemis II mission has successfully landed, it’s likely to inspire new science fiction stories. Even before the spacecraft returned, people were drawing comparisons to the recent Fantastic Four movie, noting similarities between the two journeys. While the real-life mission wasn’t as action-packed, it clearly demonstrates our culture’s enduring fascination with space exploration and going beyond Earth.

Apollo 13 is available to stream on AMC+.

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2026-04-13 01:05