Directed by Peter Chelsom, this interplanetary adventure, a space shuttle embarks on the first mission to colonize Mars, only to discover after takeoff that one astronaut is pregnant. Shortly after landing, she dies from complications while giving birth to the first human born on the red planet— never revealing who the father is. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Gardner Elliot, played by Asa Butterfield—an inquisitive, highly intelligent boy who reaches 16, having only met 14 people in his very unconventional upbringing.

While searching for clues about his father, and the home planet he’s never known, Gardner begins an online friendship with a street-smart girl, played by Britt Robertson, in Colorado named Tulsa. When he finally has time to go to Earth, he’s eager to experience all the wonders he could only read about on Mars— from the simplest to the extraordinary. But once his explorations begin, scientists discover that Gardner’s organs can’t withstand Earth’s atmosphere.

Eager to find his father, Gardner escapes the team of scientists and joins with Tulsa in a race against time to unravel the mysteries of how he came to be and where he belongs in the universe.