If you only see one movie in a theater in the next year, you absolutely must see “Project Hail Mary,” starring Ryan Gosling and introducing the Rocky character. The critics love this movie, as so they should. It is so good that I’ve seen it twice (so far), bought the book and even some movie theater popcorn buckets swag (Grace’s space helmet and Rocky in his multi-sided, clear, environmental habitat bubble). The book was highly recommended to me. Now I somehow need to make time to read it!
Project Hail Mary collectable popcorn buckets & book
(Jan Wagner)
Some spoilers, which you will probably also deduce from the trailers, follow.
“Project Hail Mary,” which is based on the novel by Andy Weir, tells the story of school science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) who unexpectedly wakes up from a coma, alone on a spaceship that is far, far away from home, with no recollection of how he got there. Eventually he realizes that he has been sent on a mission that is vital to the survival of life on earth: to figure out why a mysterious substance is causing the sun to die out. If he is to succeed at doing that, he must call upon his knowledge of science, his unorthodox ideas and an unexpected ally (Rocky) to try to save all life on Earth — and on his new ally’s planet — from extinction. This effort will be the Hail Mary.
Much more than just a great science fiction adventure, “Project Hail Mary” explores cooperation, selflessness, determination and more — essential human characteristics that transcend this genre. As we learn in the movie’s Production Notes, Andy Weir, the novel’s author, “had already developed a reputation for marrying rigorous science with emotional clarity in stories anchored in near futures. His 2011 best-seller “The Martian” had proven that audiences would follow complex problem-solving if they cared about the person doing the solving.”
Project Hail Mary teaser poster
(Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios)
Much attention has been given to the science. “One of the things we learned on “The Martian” was that we don’t have to simplify the science,” Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Drew Goddard said. “We were terrified we would have to simplify it for a general audience but what we found was the opposite. The audience loved that the science was complicated and challenging.”
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller “didn’t want to reduce the science, they wanted to stage it. That meant restructuring certain passages from the novel so that ideas emerged through action rather than explanation. It would really become an exercise in cinema’s purest and most singular function: visual storytelling. If Grace is figuring something out, the audience would have to watch him figure it out. They would watch him fail, watch him test. Discovery had to be active.”
Project Hail Mary 4DX poster
(Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios)
Early on Gosling had considered this role an opportunity to make the most epic theatrical experience of his life. “It’s such an epic journey,” Gosling says, “And Ryland Grace is not stoic in any way. He’s not brave in any traditional sense and he doesn’t have any illusions about being a hero. But he keeps trying.” We care about Ryan Gosling’s character (Grace) and Rocky, and we want them to succeed.
I saw “Project Hail Mary” in IMAX 2D, but a Google search revealed that this movie has been released in 12 distinct movie formats: IMAX 70mm Film and IMAX Dual-Laser (1.43:1 Aspect Ratio), Dolby Cinema (Dolby Vision/Atmos), ScreenX (extends the projected movie onto the side walls of the theater), 4DX/MX4D (adds environmental effects such as wind, scents and moving seats), HDR by Barco (ultra bright, with high dynamic range), Cinemark XD (4K laser projection, immersive audio and shifting aspect ratios for an enhanced visual experience), 5-perf 70mm (superior to standard digital projection but not as large as IMAX), Digital IMAX (larger, brighter and crisper than standard projection), D-Box (seats shake and move with the film’s action), Premium Large Format (several branded formats, including Regal RPX and AMC Prime, with larger screens and improved sound over standard) and Standard 2D Digital.
Jan Wagner in Project Hail Mary display
(Jan Wagner)
To see the official trailer, get tickets and even download a printable 3D model of Rocky (requires a 3D printer. Click on the link, open your Downloads folder and find the folder within, titled “Grace Keychain 3D model”), visit: https://www.amazon.com/salp/projecthailmary?hhf.
To explore a wide variety of content dating back to 2002, with the most photos and the latest text, visit “AutoMatters & More” at https://automatters.net. Search by title or topic in the Search Bar in the middle of the Home Page or click on the blue ‘years’ boxes and browse.
Copyright © 2026 by Jan Wagner – AutoMatters & More #922r1