Damien Chazelle‘s La La Land has captivated audiences with its elegant and sunny musical numbers and gorgeous shots of Los Angeles. But now he can look forward to work on a surprising new project that will have him reunite with one of his La La Land stars, which will require far less singing and jazz piano playing.

A new report says Chazelle and Ryan Gosling are set to reunite for an adaptation of James Hansen‘s The First Man: A Life of Neil A. Armstrong, a biopic about astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man who set foot on the moon. More on the story below.

According to THR, Spotlight scribe Josh Singer will pen the adaptation of Hansen’s biography for Universal Pictures. The biopic will focus mainly on the years 1961 to 1969, when NASA was working on putting a man on the moon. The film will also look at the sacrifices made and the price paid by both Armstrong and the nation in attempting one of the most dangerous missions ever.

Gosling has been attached to the project since last year when it was under the Warner Bros. banner and set to be directed by Clint Eastwood. Variety says that Chazelle boarded the project last year.

Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey will produce.

As aforementioned, Gosling and Chazelle are both coming off their reverent musical darling La La Land, which has gained the attention of critics and fellow audiences. The film recently earned seven Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture, Best Directing for Chazelle, and Best Actor for Gosling. Gosling also earned a nomination for a SAG award.

While Chazelle’s previous two directorial efforts have had a musical element to them, this wouldn’t be the first time that he’s had to work on something other than a musical. This year the filmmaker worked on the script to the quiet sci-fi hit 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Gosling can next be seen alongside Harrison Ford in Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to the 1982 cult film.

Recent biopics and dramatized events have proven to be much more than just an excuse to eat movie theater popcorn. Films like Spotlight, Jackie, Patriots Day, and Hidden Figures have received high praise from critics and have also been hits for a few studios. So just imagine what a biopic about Neil Armstrong could do for critics and general audiences.

Universal has yet to announce a release date. Filming is expected to begin sometime next year.

[Source: THR l Variety]