The Spider-Verse team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller are in Mission Control for this sci-fi survival thriller.
We don’t talk enough about The Martian, Ridley Scott‘s 2015 adaptation of Andy Weir’s self-published sci-fi novel and one of the most underrated films in the Blade Runner director’s career. The script was by Drew Goddard, who has now adapted Weir’s third novel, Project Hail Mary, for 21 Jump Street and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Won’t lie; I’m pretty pumped for this.
Project Hail Mary Trailer
What’s the plot?
School teacher and former molecular biologist Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) is tapped for a last ditch mission into space to save the Earth from extinction. It seems the sun is dimming – and it’s not the only one. In fact, the only nearby star not guttering out is in the Tau Ceti system. So, our everyman is jammed into a spaceship and fired off into the unknown, hopefully to find a solution. As th trailer shows at the end there, what he finds is an alien.
If you’re familiar with The Martian – book or film – you know Weir’s vibe. It’s a combo of hard science, sardonic humour, and a kind of pragmatic can-do optimism. All of that seems present and correct here.
Who’s in it?
- Ryan Gosling is Ryland Grace, our plucky hero.
- Sandra Hüller (Anatomy Of A Fall, The Zone Of Interest) is Eva Stratt, Ryland’s superior.
- Milana Vayntrub (This Is Us) is Olesya Ilyukhina.
- Liz Kingman (Parlement) is Shapiro
- James Ortiz is Rocky, our alien.
Plus Lionel Boyce and Ken Leung are in there, too.
When’s it out?
Project Hail Mary hits US cinemas on March 20, 2026, and I can’t see the Australian release being too different.
What’s the vibe?
Keen for it. Much like Gosling’s character, Miller and Lord seem to be growing the beard here. They’ve always had a talent for imbuing their films with real pathos under the jokes and the action, but Project Hail Mary looks like it’s gonna be a heartstring-tugger right out of the gate.
MORE IN News
