Young Stars of "Space Warriors" became a part of history as they observed NASA Curiosity land on Mars

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Aug. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — "Soul Surfer" director Sean McNamara's new film shooting at Space Camp.

The new NASA rover "Curiosity" is scheduled to make a daring landing on the Red Plant this Sunday, August 5th. Nearly a Billion people will be watching but none quite as closely as a team from Hollywood and the STARS of the new movie, "Space Warriors." Multiple nations have made 26 attempts to land on the red planet, with the United States experiencing the only previous success.

An elite crew will be tuning in to a LIVE USTREAM, managed by NASA, inside the home of Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. That's where the cast and crew of "Space Warriors" are filming a new feature film, slated for worldwide release in the Spring of 2013. A first for NASA, planetary scientists and their contractors will provide a historic show for the film's cast and crew, amongst other space aficionados and devotees.

Director Sean McNamara, coming off acclaimed success with the hit film "Soul Surfer," will join the young actors from the feature film, along with more than 200 future planetary explorers visiting Space Camp this week for an opportunity of a lifetime, spending the night at one of the best places to watch a landing, Space Camp. During this "Snoozeum," all will watch the LIVE satellite link with NASA. It will also be broadcast on television stations and networks around the world. After the broadcast, the Space Camp trainees will spend the night under the Saturn V rocket, the vehicle that powered man to the Moon.

"This is where fantasy and reality converge," said Dr Deborah Barnhart, CEO of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. "The story of 'Space Warriors' will inspire tomorrow's space enthusiasts to make their own interplanetary dreams a reality."

"Like Curiosity, the goal of our film 'Space Warriors' is to inspire the next generation of explorers. What a special treat for our Cast and Crew to be here during this historic event," stated Sean McNamara, Director of Space Warriors.

"Our company was founded on the principal of telling stories that recapture imagination and rekindle curiosity. Space Warriors and the amazing partnership with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is proving once again that learning can be inspiring and entertaining," said Micheal Flaherty, the president and co-founder of Walden Media, the marketing and distribution company behind Space Warriors and many other family films including Narnia, Charlotte's Web, Holes, Bridge to Terabithia, and the Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Thomas Horn, the breakout young star of the recently Academy Award nominated film, Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close (with Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock), toplines, along with Josh Lucas, star of NBC's The Firm. Lucas was a featured actor in J. Edgar and Lincoln Lawyer as well as roles in A Beautiful Mind, Sweet Home Alabama and American Psycho. The cast taps into a stellar Hollywood Galaxy with Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino, Dermot Mulroney and Danny Glover in key roles.

Joining Thomas Horn as Space Warriors and competing Titans in the film are a number of highly regarded young adult actors such as Grayson Russell, (Diary Of A Wimpy Kid), Thomas Kasp, (iCArly), and BooBoo Stewart, (Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn) amongst others. Auditions for supporting roles were held in Huntsville, Alabama.

Dr. Barnhart adds: "Our mission is to coach pioneers of the next generation of discovery. We challenge our trainees to become leaders and innovators of tomorrow, not only in space travel but in all areas of advancement."

The film will feature Space Camp's advanced training facilities, modeled after astronaut training.

The USSRC is home to Space Camp, Aviation Challenge, the Davidson Center for Space Exploration and world-class traveling exhibits. It is also the official visitor's information center for NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center. To learn about all of the exciting programs and activities at the USSRC, go to www.rocketcenter.com.

Contact: Tim D. Hall, timh@spacecamp.com (256) 701-0916