Danny Boyle's "Sunshine" was released in 2007, telling a darker tale of a solar catastrophe. The film borrows heavily from the "Alien" playbook and features an ensemble cast including Cillian Murphy and C.E. The director, who has previously directed films such as "28 Days Later" and "Slumdog Millionaire, was never likely to make a family-friendly, multiplex-filling space opera. While the film was praised for its realism and science-grounding, Boyle's approach to the story was more restrained. The movie's Big Bad is Earth's nearest star, with the Sun's fusion reactions slowing down and the Icarus II being launched to deliver a bomb equivalent to Manhattan Island.