Harry Winer’s sci-fi youth film Space Camp was certainly not a good start. It did not make it Half a year after the Challenger disaster In 1986, several people died during a flight into space – and nobody was in the mood for space adventures. The box office flop was, so to speak, inevitable.
For one then a small and now a big star The film was one of his first roles. Today he is known as a French general and DC nemesis. Is the penny gradually dropping?
This sci-fi film was the Hollywood baptism of fire for one of today’s biggest stars: do you recognize him?
Last chance before we break it up. Here is a picture of the wanted young star from Space Camp, where he is a little more recognizable. Now imagine him with a bicorn hat or lots of clown makeup:
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Space Camp
The answer: The little space rascal is Leaf Phoenix. Don’t you know him? Well, maybe under his current name: Joaquin Phoenix. That’s right, the star of Napoleon and Joker starred in Space Camp in the 80s as twelve-year-old Max Graham and made several Star Wars references.
The actor, born in 1974, followed in the footsteps of his older brother River Phoenix (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), who had already established himself in Hollywood at the time. River Phoenix never experienced his brother’s great successes due to his tragic death. He died in 1993 at the age of just 23.
Can you see Space Camp with Joaquin Phoenix anywhere?
Unfortunately, the film has been almost completely forgotten. It cannot be streamed in this country, and a home cinema version is only available in used form from abroad. In 2020, Disney nevertheless began to tackle a remake. However, it is questionable whether these plans are still current.