The eagerly awaited adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel, Project Hail Mary, directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, released in theaters this March—prompting a wave of critical and audience praise. Rated a significant 4.3 stars on Letterboxd, the film follows middle-school science teacher turned astronaut, Ryland Grace, on his quest to save humanity from an alien microorganism. The film makes it clear that the microorganism, called “astrophage,” is a significant threat that holds the possibility to poison the sun. The opening scene establishes that Grace is alone on the massive spaceship fueled by astrophage, the Hail Mary, with no recollection of how he got there. Scenes from the past as well as the present are blended together to piece together the full story throughout the course of the film. Along the way, he encounters an alien spaceship, where he quickly befriends the affable alien—called an Eridian—named Rocky. Rocky is on a solo journey through space after radiation sickness killed his crew. Together, they merge their skills of science and engineering to bring a solution home to Earth, and to Rocky’s home planet, Erid.
Project Hail Mary stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a casting that is not just stylistically perfect, but supported by Andy Weir from early on in the production process. Antoine Guy of The Penn states, “Movies like ‘La La Land’ (2016) and ‘Barbie’ (2023) helped to solidify Gosling as a household name, but it’s clear that this film helped people see Gosling’s range and the span of his acting ability.” In the novel, Andy Weir projects Grace’s voice as sarcastic and cheeky—a character who can see the humor in seemingly dire situations. Ryan Gosling does an impressive job emulating Ryland Grace’s mannerisms and tone by effectively balancing the character’s comedic qualities while also creating moments of emotional vulnerability.
Another aspect that sets Project Hail Mary apart from the hundreds of other 2026 releases, is the authenticity in production. Most movies in the twenty-first century use an absurd amount of CGI to generate realistic environments, but the production team of Project Hail Mary built a lifesize, rotatable set of the interior of the Hail Mary, without relying on any digital enhancements. Ryan Gosling then learned how to navigate the several zero-gravity scenes while being entirely strapped into a harness, which is no easy feat. The raw effort and talent put into the fabrication of the film could easily place it in the running for an Oscar nomination, especially in the category of adapted screenplay or best cinematography. Nora Wilson ’29 stated, “Project Hail Mary was an incredible film to watch, especially in theaters. The visual appeal of so many scenes as well as the coloring made it a completely immersive experience.”
The directors of Project Hail Mary also do an admirable job of staying true to the original novel. Molly Cahill ’29 commented, “Project Hail Mary takes all the amazing sci-fi of Interstellar and mixes it with the humanity of every feel-good movie ever. Lord and Miller have cooked on every single project they’ve made. To anyone who enjoyed the movie, my best advice is to read the book. It goes way deeper into all the interesting science.”
Project Hail Mary is a staple in the genre of science fiction. Since its publication in 2021, it has been translated into over thirty languages and released into over eighty international markets. By integrating stunning visuals, authentic sets, and comedy that stays true to the novel, Phil Lord and Chris Miller are able to create a timeless masterpiece that will be sure to set the groundwork for hundreds of science fiction films to come. Whether you read the book first and rushed to theaters or happened to stumble upon it, the film leans into themes of friendship, sacrifice and bravery—engaging countless audiences with its wholesome story, and solidifying Project Hail Mary as one of the most powerful releases of 2026 so far.
