Claim: Matt Damon's character in The Martian is mistakenly presumed dead.

The Martian is a 2015 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott , based on Andy Weir 's 2011 novel The Martian . Matt Damon stars as an astronaut who is mistakenly presumed dead and left behind on Mars . The film depicts his struggle to survive and others ' efforts to rescue him . The film 's ensemble cast also features Jessica Chastain , Kristen Wiig , Jeff Daniels , Michael Peña , Kate Mara , Sean Bean , Sebastian Stan , Donald Glover , Aksel Hennie and Chiwetel Ejiofor .   Producer Simon Kinberg began developing the film after 20th Century Fox optioned the novel in March 2013 , which Drew Goddard adapted into a screenplay and was initially attached to direct , but the film did not move forward . Scott replaced Goddard , and with Damon in place as the main character , production was approved . Filming began in November 2014 and lasted approximately seventy days . Twenty sets were built on a sound stage in Budapest , Hungary , one of the largest in the world . Wadi Rum in Jordan was also used as a backdrop for filming .   The film premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11 , 2015 , followed by the United States ' theatrical release on October 2 , 2015 , by 20th Century Fox . The film was released in 2D , 3D , IMAX 3D and 4DX . It received critical acclaim and has grossed over $ 630 million worldwide , becoming Scott 's highest-grossing film to date , as well as the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2015 . It received several accolades , including the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy , seven Academy Award nominations , including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for Goddard , and the 2016 long form Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation . Damon won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy and was nominated for several awards including the Academy Award for Best Actor , the BAFTA for Best Actor , and the Critic 's Choice Award for Best Actor .