Directed by Roland Emmerich and co-written with Harald Kloser, Moonfall stars Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, and John Bradley in a feature film combining action and science fiction. Released in France in February 2022, this spectacular disaster movie joins the Prime Video catalog on December 1, 2025, continuing the streaming broadcast of one of the filmmaker's most ambitious productions.
The story begins when an unknown force alters the Moon's orbit, sending it hurtling towards Earth and threatening all human life. Faced with this extreme situation, two NASA astronauts and a conspiracy theorist combine their skills to carry out an urgent mission. The cosmic disruption causes global chaos as the team tries to understand the origin of the threat and prevent the impact. The film follows both the astronauts' journey and that of the families left on the ground, confronted with the upheavals triggered by the approaching satellite.
The mission gradually reveals that the Moon may not be the natural object described by traditional knowledge. Without giving away the final revelations, the story explores the hypothesis of a complex structure hidden beneath its surface. The narrative combines survival, scientific exploration, and constant tension, in line with the director's other epic films centered on global threats and the mobilization of disparate teams to save the planet.
Conceived in 2016, the film marks Roland Emmerich's return to disaster cinema, a genre he helped popularize with Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012. Its estimated $136 million budget reflects the scale of the visual effects and sets required to depict a scenario combining space, planetary destruction, and studio-recreated environments. The sequences set on Earth were created at Grandé Studios in Montreal, where nearly 2.5 km of Colorado-inspired landscapes were reproduced.
NASA collaborated on the production, providing access to a real space shuttle and imaging resources of the Moon to enhance the visual authenticity. Retired astronaut Bjarni Tryggvason advised the team to ensure the credibility of the movements and procedures, while the zero-gravity scenes were simulated using a gimbal system. The cast changed during preparation, with Josh Gad initially being considered for the role of KC Houseman before being replaced by John Bradley.
The tone of the film combines urgency, spectacle, and scientific imagination in a universe where environmental disaster meets space exploration. Fans of apocalyptic action films, scenarios based on speculative scientific hypotheses, or ensemble films centered on cooperation in the face of global danger will find all the hallmarks of the genre here. Emmerich's visual approach, which favors monumental scale and massive digital effects, places the work in line with his previous blockbusters.
Moonfall
Film | 2022
Theatrical release: February 9, 2022
On Prime Video December 1, 2025
Action, science fiction | Running time: 120 min
By Roland Emmerich | Starring Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley
Nationality: United States
This spectacular production offers a blend of mainstream science fiction and disaster narrative, with staging that emphasizes visual scale and group dynamics. Its arrival on Prime Video allows us to rediscover one of Roland Emmerich's most ambitious recent offerings in his favorite genre.
To go further, check out our selection of new Prime Video releases for December, our guide to streaming releases across all platforms, and today's selection of What to Watch Today on Streaming.
