Amazon Greenlights Kristen Stewart’s ‘The Challenger’ Series

Amazon has greenlit Kristen Stewart to lead a limited series about astronaut and physicist Sally Ride. Two years after Filmogaz.com revealed Stewart was attached, the streamer approved the project. The series is titled The Challenger.

Maggie Cohn will write the show, serve as showrunner, and executive produce. The project draws on Meredith E. Bagby’s 2023 book, The New Guys.

Creative team and production companies

The series was developed at Kyra Sedgwick’s Big Swing Productions. Production partners include Big Swing, Stewart’s Nevermind label, and Amblin Television. Amazon MGM Studios will distribute the series on Prime Video.

• Maggie Cohn — writer, showrunner, executive producer.
• Kyra Sedgwick and Valerie Stadler — executive producers for Big Swing.
• Kristen Stewart, Dylan Meyer, and Maggie McLean — executive producers for Nevermind.
• Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey — executive producers for Amblin Television.
• Meredith E. Bagby and James Hawes — executive producers; Hawes will direct.

Story focus

The Challenger examines the lead-up to the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. It also follows the Rogers Commission investigation that followed the accident. The narrative centers on Sally Ride’s personal and professional journey.

The show traces the Astronaut Class of ’78. It covers recruitment, training, and the shuttle program’s highs and lows. The arc culminates with Ride’s historic 1983 flight as the first American woman in space.

Context and significance

Ride later served on the presidential commission probing the Challenger accident that killed seven crew members. The limited series aims to illuminate both institutional failures and human stories. Creators say it will explore the pressures inside NASA and the courage of the new astronaut cohort.

Statements and deal details

Kyra Sedgwick noted Big Swing had developed the project since 2017. She praised Cohn for bringing the complex story to life.

Peter Friedlander, head of global television at Amazon MGM Studios, hailed Ride’s legacy. He said Kristen Stewart was an ideal choice to portray her. Amazon emphasized the story’s themes of breaking barriers and its global Prime Video audience.

The representation and packaging included WME, which represented Amblin Television and Stewart. CAA represented Sedgwick, Big Swing, and Cohn.

Industry observers note Amazon greenlit Kristen Stewart in The Challenger after a multi-year development process. The series brings together established producers, source material from Bagby’s 2023 book, and a high-profile lead.