Apollo 13: Ron Howard and Brian Grazer pay heartfelt tribute to commander Jim Lovell following his passing

Apollo 13 (1995) was directed by Ron Howard and it is a dramatized account of the Apollo 13 lunar mission in the 1970s. William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert adapted it from Jeffrey Kluger and Jim Lovell's 1994 book Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13.

Lovell was an astronaut and was the commander of the aforementioned mission. On August 7, 2025, he passed away at the age of 97 in Lake Forest, Illinois, U.S. Right after this news broke out, Howard and the film's producer Brian Grazer paid their tribute to Lovell. Let's look at what they said.

Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Tom Hanks pay tribute to Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell

Right after Apollo 13 mission commander James Lovell passed away on August 7, Tom Hanks took to Instagram to pay his tribute. Hanks had portrayed Lovell in Ron Howard's namesake film. Taking to Instagram, Hanks wrote:

“There are people who dare, who dream and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own. Jim Lovell, who for a long while had gone farther into space and for longer than any other person of our planet, was that kind of guy. His many voyages around Earth and on to so-very-close to the moon were not made for riches or celebrity, but because such challenges as those are what fuels the course of being alive — and who better than Jim Lovell to make those voyages.”

Howard also paid his tribute and wrote,

"Rest in peace, Commander Lovell. Navy test pilot, Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and, of course, Apollo 13. Simply knowing Jim has been a tremendous honor. His combination of intellect, courage and commitment to duty made him one of the most remarkable individuals I’ve ever met. His support of our movie-making efforts inspired authenticity and elevated our process in so many ways. Thank you, sir, for your service to our country and to humankind.”

The film's producer, Brian Grazer, also shared a statement and said,

“Jim Lovell was a true American hero whose courage, intellect and grace under pressure inspired a nation. He was not only a legend in space exploration, but also an incredibly generous, kind and inspiring man. Thank you, Commander Lovell, for showing us the best of what we can be.”

Along with William Anders and Frank Borman, he was one of the first three people to orbit the Moon. He was the commander of Apollo 13, which had to return to Earth after a technical failure. Lovell had uttered the line, “Houston, we've had a problem,” which later went on to become popular.

Meanwhile, the film was released on June 30, 1995, and met with a positive critical response. It starred Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton and Gary Sinise. Made on a budget of $52 million, the film ended up grossing $355.2 million at the box office.

Rest in peace, Jim Lovell.