Brad Pitt's upcoming space drama 'Ad Astra' talks about toxic masculinity

American actor and director Brad Pitt's latest release - space drama 'Ad Astra' - is said to deal with the concept of toxic masculinity.

The film which premiered at the Venice Film Festival 2019, shows Pitt playing the role of Roy McBride, an astronaut who has to travel to the edge of space to uncover the truth about his father (played by Tommy Lee Jones,) who people believe may have triggered some kind of catastrophic event that threatens the solar system, reported Fox News.

Speaking to The Daily Beast, the actor explained that toxic masculinity was a topic that kept on erupting while he was discussing the script with director James Gray, cited Fox News.

"In retrospect, I look back on our early conversations--James and I--and what we were really digging at, without labeling it so much, was this definition of masculinity," Pitt explained.

"Having grown up in an era where we were taught to be strong, not show weakness, don't be disrespected, and so on and so forth, there's certainly value in that as far as entering into the world and holding your own, but there's also a barrier that's created with this kind of embracing of the self, because you're denying, to a sense, those pains or the things [that make] you feel shame, whether real or imagined, the regrets in one's life."

The protagonist of the film must put together his own father's story in an effort to save the universe. Apparently, that got the duo wearing their thinking caps to understand the concept of one's legacy and how being open emotionally factors into that.

"Looking back, we were asking the question: Does actually being more open provide you with a better relationship with your loved ones, with your parents, with your kids, and with yourself?" he concluded.

The actor previously discussed the concept of masculinity while promoting "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.