Brad Pitt goes deep into space, masculinity in 'Ad Astra'

"Ad Astra" looks and sounds like a space epic with a movie star lead in Brad Pitt, but there's a lot more going on beneath the surface.

Pitt said Thursday at the Venice International Film Festival that he and director James Gray are really digging into the idea of masculinity.

"Having grown up in an era where you're taught to be strong and not show weakness ... there is certain value in that but there's also a barrier that's created denying those pains or those things you feel ashamed to reveal," Pitt said. "I think we were asking the question: Is a better definition for us actually being more open divining a better relationship with your loved ones, with your parents, with your kids, and with yourself?"

Actor Brad Pitt arrives at the Lido Beach for the 76th edition of the Venice Film Festival, in Venice, Italy, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. The Venice Film Festival runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 7. (Ettore FerrariANSA via AP)

"Ad Astra" follows Pitt's detached astronaut character Roy McBride on a journey to the outer reaches of space to find his estranged father, a famous astronaut himself who has long been thought dead.

In addition to starring, Pitt also produced the film which he said was one of the most challenging he's ever done. Not only did he and Gray use primarily practical sets (he laughed that he and friend George Clooney "exchanged some discomfort stories" about the strings and rigs used to simulate anti-gravity in space films) but it's an emotionally taxing role as well.

Pitt had to draw on personal pains and wounds to make his performance as honest as possible. Gray, who has been a friend of Pitt's for 25 years, would send him emails every day revealing ideas from his own life that would help set the tone for whatever was needed for that particular day on set.

Actor Brad Pitt poses for photographers upon arrival for the photo call of the film 'Ad Astra' at the 76th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. (Photo by Joel C RyanInvisionAP)

"We don't have a normal male relationship, we've always been quite open about our foibles and had big laughs at our embarrassing moments and (been) open about our feelings about our perceived failures or missteps," Pitt said. "It was a really unique experience."

Gray said he thinks its important that actors don't "worry about being liked or hated or sympathetic or unsympathetic."

"You can only worry about being honest about who you are and be vulnerable and open," he added.

Actors Ruth Negga, from left, Brad Pitt, Liv Tyler and director James Gray pose for photographers upon arrival for the photo call of the film 'Ad Astra' at the 76th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. (AP PhotoDejan Jankovic)

The film had its world premiere at the 76th edition of the Venice festival and is in competition for the Golden Lion, alongside films like "Joker" and "Marriage Story." Past winners like "The Shape of Water" and "Roma" have in recent years gone on to win or gain best picture nominations come Oscar time. But when asked about the Oscar prospects of "Ad Astra," Pitt, who has yet to win an Oscar for acting despite being nominated twice, deflected.

"Every year I see amazing talent getting acknowledged and amazing talent not getting acknowledged. And my feeling is when your number comes up it's great fun and when someone else's number comes up it's very fun to see," Pitt said. "How was that for a dodge?"

His focus right now is simply finally releasing the film to the public. "Ad Astra's" release date has been pushed back a few times, as Fox integrated its release schedule with Disney after the acquisition.

Actors Liv Tyler, from left, Brad Pitt, Ruth Negga and director James Gray pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Ad Astra' at the 76th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. (Photo by Joel C RyanInvisionAP)

"I just want to get this film out," Pitt said. "It's a challenging film. It's subtle and it's operating on many cylinders and it has something to say about who we are, the soul, why we hang on, what's our purpose? I'm curious to see where it lands. "

"Ad Astra" opens nationwide on Sept. 20.

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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has amassed an unusually large force in the Caribbean Sea and the waters off the coast of Venezuela since this summer, when the Trump administration first began to shift assets to the region as part of its anti-drug trafficking operations.

In all, U.S. Southern Command says there are around 15,000 personnel operating in the area, in the largest military buildup in the region in generations.

It is part of the Trump administration's escalating pressure campaign on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the U.S., and includes a series of strikes on alleged drug-running boats that have killed more than 100 people since early September.

Here is a look at the ships, planes and troops in the region:

The Navy has 11 warships in the region — the nation's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, as well as five destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, and two cruisers.

The three amphibious assault ships make up an amphibious readiness group and carry an expeditionary unit of Marines. As a result, those ships also have on board a variety of Marine helicopters, Osprey tilt rotor aircraft and Harrier jets that have the capability of either transporting large numbers of Marines or striking targets on land and sea.

The USS Ford has multiple squadrons of fighter jets as well as other aircraft and helicopters.

While officials have not offered specific numbers, destroyers and cruisers typically deploy with a missile loadout that contains Tomahawk cruise missiles, which can strike hundreds of miles from their launch point.

A U.S. Navy submarine also is operating in the broader area of South America and is capable of carrying and launching cruise missiles.

A squadron of advanced U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II jets has been sent to an airstrip in Puerto Rico. The planes were first spotted landing on the island territory in mid-September.

More recently, U.S. Navy EA-18G “Growler” electronic warfare jets were photographed flying out of Puerto Rico.

MQ-9 Reaper Air Force drones, capable of flying long distances and carrying up to eight laser-guided missiles, also have been spotted operating out of Puerto Rico by commercial satellites and military watchers, as well as photojournalists, around the same time in September.

It has been widely reported that the Navy also is operating P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft out of the region.

In October, the military released a photo of a U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider, a heavily armed plane capable of firing its large guns with precision onto ground targets, sitting on the tarmac in Puerto Rico.

There has been a multitude of other military aircraft that have temporarily flown through the region as part of military operations there.

The U.S. Air Force has repeatedly flown B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bombers to the region in what the Pentagon has said were training flights. However, at least one such flight was dubbed a “bomber attack demo” in photos online.

Recently, the U.S. military also flew a pair of F/A-18 fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela in what appears to be the closest American warplanes have come to the South American country’s airspace since the start of the campaign.

The gulf is bounded by Venezuela and only about 150 miles (240 kilometers) at its widest point. The planes spent more than 30 minutes flying in the area.

All told, about 15,000 personnel are in the region, with nearly 10,000 being the sailors and Marines aboard the warships. U.S. Southern Command refused to offer any formal breakdown of the total figure, citing operational security.

Lt. Col. Emanuel Ortiz, a spokesperson for Southern Command, said in an email that the total figure “includes all military services and government civilians in support of this mission.”

The Pentagon has not offered specific numbers on how many drones, aircraft or ground crew are in the region, so their impact on that broader figure is unknown.

FILE - In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the USS Gerald R. Ford embarked on the first of its sea trials to test various state-of-the-art systems on its own power for the first time, April 8, 2017, from Newport News, Va. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ridge Leoni/U.S. Navy via AP, File)

The seal is seen on a podium at the Pentagon, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Washington, before Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)