LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — Will humans outlive the earth or will the earth outlive humans? The adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel “Project Hail Mary” hit theaters March 20, 2026. The plot follows a rejected scientist-turned-middle school science teacher named Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), marooned on a spaceship. The lone survivor of his mission, he must attempt to discover life on an unexplored planet and return the evidence to Earth to save it from ruin — both environmental and societal. On his journey, Grace befriends an alien, Rocky (voiced by James Ortiz), suffering similar circumstances, and together they work to save their respective planets and peoples.
The film uses flashbacks to provide viewers with an explanation of the events leading up to Grace’s interstellar voyage, creating a dual timeline, both of which remain highly faithful to Weir’s original work. The major differences between the novel and its adaptation include tweaks to the struggle to complete the characters’ objective in their battle with near-death and an additional final scene to create closure.
Reportedly, the entire Hail Mary ship prop was physically constructed rather than relying on post production effects.
“‘There is no green screen in the movie whatsoever. Not a single green or blue screen was used,” said “Project Hail Mary” co-director Christopher Miller.
Rocky’s character was brought to life with puppetry and hydraulics, wirework, and physical rigs were used to mimic the zero-gravity aspect of space travel. When shooting, Gosling acted alongside a puppet rather than reciting lines alone.
Despite speaking different languages, Grace and Rocky work together to save their planets, developing more than just camaraderie — they become family. Both the last and only hope for their missions and societies, their vulnerability, hilarity, sacrifice and determination, in spite of their unimaginable struggles, highlights the human ability to build community. Platonic love and respect are the paramount qualities of their relationship, modeling not only the impact of simple kindnesses so rarely seen in society today, but also the conscious effort that goes into cultivating a relationship, not merely an allyship.
Ultimately, the film does a spectacular job of conveying the humorous, intellectual, high-stakes yet heartwarming scene Weir built on the page, in all aspects: the script, the actors, the cinematography and the special effects. The unlikely friendship between the tarantula-like rock alien and “astronaut” that begins out of desperation and borderline insanity as a result of isolation is mesmerizing, truly driving the plot and overshadowing the story of scientific discovery.
Almost more of a comedy than a sci-fi film, “Project Hail Mary” is sure to be a heart-wrenching two and a half hour long journey, teaching more about humanity than science.
