Russian spacecraft blasts off to International Space Station with actress, director to film first movie in space

Russia's space mission blasted off to the International Space Station(ISS) with an actress and director as they set course to shoot a movie in space.

Actress Yulia Peresild, 37 and film director Klim Shipenko, 38, took the space flight from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome as they bid to outmanoeuvre Hollywood.

"Mission Impossible" star Tom Cruise had earlier announced that he would be shooting for a movie in space on Elon Musk's SpaceX. However, Russia's Soyuz MS-19 spaceship which is on a 12-day mission led by cosmonaut Anton Shkaplero is set to outshine Tom Cruise.

The movie which Peresild is seeking to make is reportedly about an astronaut who rescues a doctor in space. The film is titled "The Challenge".

The Russian duo packed themselves in heavy spacesuits hours before the flight waving to the crowds as they boarded their spacecraft.

The spaceship is due to arrive back home on October 17 along with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky who has been aboard the ISS for the past six months.

(With inputs from Agencies)