There are few actresses more effective at burrowing into your heart and making you break down in tears than Michelle Williams. And so, prepare yourselves for some news: Deadline reports that Williams will play the role of Christa McAuliffe, NASA’s first Teacher in Space, for the movie The Challenger. McAuliffe became a member of the seven-person crew aboard the Challenger space shuttle, which launched from Cape Canaveral on January 28, 1986 and exploded just 73 seconds later. The tragedy was broadcast live on national television, and everyone onboard was killed. Jayson Rothwell has written the script, and Martin Zandvliet will direct this sure-to-be heartbreaking film, in which Williams will turn in one of her signature powerful and dignified performances — making the inevitable tragic ending all the more wrenching.
