Flight of the Navigator

  • 1986
  • 1h 30min
  • PG

Adventure, Comedy, Family

  • Randal Kleiser
  • Mark H. Baker, Michael Burton, Phil Joanou
  • Walt Disney Pictures, Producers Sales Organization (PSO), Viking Films
  • Mark Damon, John W. Hyde, Jonathan Sanger
  • James Glennon
  • Joey Cramer, Paul Reubens, Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright, Sarah Jessica Parker, Albie Whitaker, Matt Adler, Howard Hesseman, Robert Small, Jonathan Sanger

  • Flight of the Navigator is a 1986 American science-fiction adventure film directed by Randal Kleiser and written by Mark H. Baker, Michael Burton, and Phil Joanou. It stars Joey Cramer as David Freeman, a 12-year-old boy abducted by an alien spaceship who, as an unfortunate side-effect, is transported eight years into the future. It features an early film appearance by Sarah Jessica Parker as Carolyn McAdams, a key character in the future whom David befriends.

    The film's producers initially sent the project to Walt Disney Pictures in 1984, but the studio was unable to approve it, and it was sent to Producers Sales Organization, which made a deal with Disney to distribute it in the United States. It was partially shot in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Norway, being a co-production with Norwegian company Viking Film.

    The film is notable for being one of the first Hollywood films to use extensive computer-generated imagery (CGI) effects. Specifically, it was the first use of image-based lighting and an early use of morphing in a motion picture. It is also known to be one of the first Hollywood productions to feature an entirely electronic music film score, composed using a Synclavier, one of the first digital multitrack recorders and samplers.

    The film has since developed a cult following among science-fiction and Disney fans. The latest plans for a reboot were announced in 2021.