Stars on Mars Hollywood celebrities take to the Australian outback

Stars on Mars: Hollywood celebrities take to the Australian outback for a new reality show

Hollywood stars like Lance Armstrong, Tom Schwartz, William Shatner and Ronda Rousey are taking over the Australian outback to film reality series Stars on Mars in Coober Pedy

South Australia’s Coober Pedy has just added a few hundred to its 2,000 population, while international celebrities flock to the outback to film.

The likes of Lance Armstrong, Tom Schwartz, Ariel Winter and Ronda Rousey will put their skills to the test in the new reality show Stars on Mars in the arid landscape.

Footage captured by Seven News on Tuesday showed a small cluster of large white domes linked by a living facility in the opal mining town’s desert.

Construction and camera crews could be seen on the build as they prepared for filming, which was set to begin in late May ahead of a June premiere.

To simulate the harsh “realities” of survival on the red planet, the final celebrity in the Coober Pedy set is dubbed “the Celebronaut.”

South Australia's Coober Pedy (pictured) has just added a few hundred to its population of 2,000 as international celebrities flock to the outback to film

South Australia’s Coober Pedy (pictured) has just added a few hundred to its population of 2,000 as international celebrities flock to the outback to film

William Shatner (pictured) will host the star-studded reality series

William Shatner (pictured) will host the star-studded reality series

While Stars on Mars will be the largest production to be filmed in SA, it is by no means the first that some of Hollywood’s cult classics have been filmed there.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Pitch Black, and The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert all had sets in Coober Pedy.

Commissioned by Fox Entertainment and produced by Fremantle based Eureka Productions, the star-studded reality TV show will bring tremendous benefits to SA residents.

The likes of Lance Armstrong, Ariel Winter and Ronda Rousey (pictured) will test their mettle against the arid landscape on new reality show Stars on Mars

The likes of Lance Armstrong, Ariel Winter and Ronda Rousey (pictured) will test their mettle against the arid landscape on new reality show Stars on Mars

Vanderpump Rules star Tom Schwartz is one of the notable names booked for the series

Vanderpump Rules star Tom Schwartz is one of the notable names booked for the series

According to the state government, the television project will bring traffic to 150 companies in the region and create about 250 jobs in the display industry.

“Stars on Mars could be set on another planet but this production will have a real impact on the Australian screen industry and support local jobs and know-how,” said Arts Minister Tony Burke.

The South Australian Film Corporation and government site incentives helped get the project off the ground in Coober Pedy.

With international celebrities already on set, including Star Trek actor William Shatner, filming will begin in just a few weeks, with a scheduled start date of June 5th.

The 12 celebrities will enter competitions to colonize and conquer a simulation of Mars to be dubbed “the brightest star in the galaxy,” People reported.

Footage picked up by Seven News earlier in the week showed a small cluster of large white domes linked together by a living facility in the opal mining town's desert

Footage picked up by Seven News earlier in the week showed a small cluster of large white domes linked together by a living facility in the opal mining town’s desert

Vanderpump Rules star Tom Schwartz will be joined on the show by Real Housewives of Atlanta reality star Porsha Williams, music artist Tinashe, Modern Family alumnus Ariel Winter, Superbad actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse, actress Natasha Leggero and fashion entrepreneur Tallulah Willis accompanied.

Other notable names from the sporting world include Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, NFL icons Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman, cyclist Lance Armstrong and WWE star Ronda Rousey.

“To all the celebrities out there, don’t try this at home,” said Shatner, who was a passenger on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space shuttle during a flight into space in October 2021.

The reality show comes a year after Fox made another innovative attempt at the genre with the series Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, which won The Bachelorette’s Hannah Brown against big names like Mel B, Kate Gosselin and Kenya Moore .

With international celebrities already on set, including Star Trek actor William Shatner (pictured), filming will begin in just a few weeks, with a scheduled start date of June 5th

With international celebrities already on set, including Star Trek actor William Shatner (pictured), filming will begin in just a few weeks, with a scheduled start date of June 5th