James Gray says the shocking ending of 'Ad Astra' will "upset" some people.
Brad Pitt stars in the sci-fi film as astronaut Roy McBride investigating deadly electrical storms which could be connected to his absent father (Tommy Lee Jones) who disappearance on a space mission 16 years ago.
The movie's conclusion reveals there is no other life in the universe and while it could be divisive, the filmmaker thinks it should actually bring some comfort.
Speaking to Digital Spy, Gray explained: "What's frightening for me is if there are aliens out there who are gonna come get us, kill us or eat us or whatever.
"There will be people who will be upset about it, but I don't know why because why does it freak us out or terrify us that we have each other. That seems OK to me.
"There's a famous Arthur C Clarke quote about it, either we are alone in the universe or we are not, both are equally terrifying, and that's true. But, at the same time, Earth's pretty good. I've got my wife and children and they're great, and I can find plenty of joy in that."
The film was initially set to hit the big screen at the start of the year, but the huge deal between Disney and Fox meant plans changed twice as the studio eventually settled on September 20.
Gray previously said: "[There] wasn't concern that the film wouldn't get released.
"It just was a question of when and how, and you can't worry about that stuff because it has nothing to do with you, nothing to do with your movie.
"There are forces at play in the market that are so huge that really the only thing you can do is sit back and hope for the best in your own specific case, and not take it personally. My movie is this tiny thing [and] the deal was $71 billion."
Tagged in Brad Pitt Tommy Lee Jones James Gray