Ryan Gosling takes advantage of his star power following the success of his 2023 film Barbie and 2024’s The Fall Guy by joining the upcoming science fiction movie, Project Hail Mary. It has reportedly finished filming last month and is now undergoing post-production. Based on a screenplay by Drew Goddard, the film adapts Andy Weir’s 2021 novel of the same title, a finalist for the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Novel. He is the same author who wrote The Martian, so if this is your jam, then you will surely like Gosling’s upcoming movie.
Amazon MGM Studios works alongside directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller for Project Hail Mary, an epic sci-fi film that follows an astronaut, played by Ryan Gosling, who wakes up in a spacecraft with no memory of who he is or his mission. This intriguing premise might feel familiar to some fans as it is from the same author who wrote the book on which Ridley Scott’s The Martian was based. Screenwriter Drew Goddard penned both projects, so fans can expect only the best script for Project Hail Mary.
After revealing the film’s positive progress last month, Goddard also teased fans with what they could expect from the upcoming movie (via Variety): “If you like ‘The Martian,’ I suspect you’re really going to like what we’re cooking up with ‘Hail Mary.’ Chris and Phil and I have known each other for decades now, and I love their work. And then obviously, Ryan Gosling is one of the staggering talents of our time.” With Gosling leading the film, it’s a guarantee that many would line up to buy theatre tickets.
He has proven himself a worthy leading man, having played a similar role in 2018’s First Man. Another reason to check this out is the fact that Goddard wrote the screenplay. Andy Weir’s novels are almost impossible to translate on screen, but he managed to do so with The Martian, for which he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. We can hope that Project Hail Mary will follow the success of its predecessor, relying on the strength of its lead actor and the script.
There is no certainty, of course, but it’s a good thing fans are already familiar with the works of Gosling and Goddard. Project Hail Mary took a really long time to get off the ground. The screen adaptation was first reported back in 2020, and after rigorous negotiations on the acquisition of the novel’s rights, principal photography finally commenced in 2024. Gosling is also set to produce the film, which is currently scheduled for a March 20, 2026 release.
If you loved Matt Damon’s The Martian or you’re a huge fan of Weir’s space-set novels, make sure to mark your calendars! In the meantime, enjoy watching The Martian on Apple TV.
