Erica Siaulinski, Staff Writer
In 2021, author Andy Weir released a hard science fiction novel titled Project Hail Mary. The plot surrounds a school teacher, as well as a former biologist. When the teacher is recruited for a mission, in which he will be traveling into space in an effort to save the Earth from a solar disaster, he wakes up aboard a spacecraft with amnesia. The novel received positive reviews and was a finalist in the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
The novel was further developed into a film, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller worked together on the project. The two had also released popular films such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), 21 Jump Street (2012), and The Lego Movie (2014) The two were very intrigued by the novel, and found it “almost impossible” to translate to film and turn it into something visual.
Actors Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, and Milana Vayntrub starred in the film. The film was released on March 20, 2026 and met with many positive reviews, and almost instantly shot to the top of the Box Office. The intense, alien filled mission film was a favorite for many.
The author of the novel, Andy Weir was also present many days on set during filming. He spoke about what it was like to see his characters come to life. “I didn’t realize how much a part of the creative process that the actors are,” Weir stated “I naively thought that actors are just there to read the words and put the correct emotion behind them. But they do so much more. They help create the character and add depth and complexity. There’s a lot of going off script in order to make the character better.”
The three time Oscar nominee, actor Ryan Gosling spoke about what it was like to work on this film with interviewers. “Space in general has always been interesting to me, something that I want to understand and need to feel like I do.” He added that he “surrounded himself with experts” on the set of the film and did his best to further understand space and to help himself get further into character. Astronauts, lab technicians, and physicists such as Professor Brian Cox were placed on set to further assist Gosling.
Gosling has starred in many movies, including Fall Guy (2024) Barbie (2023) and Blade Runner (2017), known for his humorous roles. He also spoke on what it was like trying to incorporate that humor into this movie. He admitted that while the film has a serious side that deals with science, the humor helped to push along the movie. “[Space] can be hard to understand but it’s important to find a way to make it accessible but also feel realistic – funny things happen in dramatic and sad situations,” he adds.
Project Hail Mary can be seen in theaters now.
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