Project Hail Mary Trailer: Astronaut Finds Alien Ally
▼ Summary
– Amazon MGM Studios released a trailer for Project Hail Mary, a 2026 space odyssey film based on Andy Weir’s 2021 novel about an amnesiac biologist in space.
– The novel’s inspiration came from Weir’s abandoned multi-book space opera Zhek, with elements incorporated into Project Hail Mary after he wrote Artemis in 2017.
– Amazon acquired the film rights before the novel’s publication, with Drew Goddard writing the screenplay and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directing.
– Ryan Gosling stars as science teacher Ryland Grace, who must solve a mystery causing the sun to die out while relying on his scientific knowledge and an unexpected friendship.
– The cast includes Sandra Huller, Milana Vayntrub, Ken Leung, Liz Kingsman, Orion Lee, and James Ortiz as a new life form named Rocky.
While audiences eagerly await the year’s major holiday premieres, anticipation is already building for Project Hail Mary, a cinematic space adventure from Amazon MGM Studios slated for 2026. Adapted from Andy Weir’s bestselling 2021 novel, the film follows a biologist-turned-schoolteacher who wakes up in deep space with no memory of his identity or mission.
Weir originally conceived a multi-book space opera titled Zhek, exploring a revolutionary interstellar fuel source, following the success of The Martian. Though he set that project aside to write Artemis in 2017, several core concepts from Zhek were eventually woven into the narrative of Project Hail Mary.
Amazon MGM Studios secured the film rights to Weir’s novel prior to its publication, enlisting Drew Goddard, who previously adapted The Martian for the screen, to write the screenplay. Directing duties went to Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, known for their work on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and The LEGO Movie, with Ryan Gosling attached to star in the lead role.
The official synopsis introduces Ryland Grace, portrayed by Gosling, a science teacher who regains consciousness aboard a spacecraft light years from Earth, his memory completely erased. As fragments of his past slowly return, he uncovers the staggering truth of his assignment: to identify and counteract a strange astrophage that is rapidly dimming the Sun, thereby preventing the extinction of all life on Earth. His only hope lies in applying unconventional scientific reasoning, though a surprising interstellar alliance suggests he may find an unexpected partner in this desperate race against time.
Joining Gosling is a talented ensemble featuring Sandra Huller as the head of the Hail Mary project and Ryland’s commanding officer. Milana Vayntrub and Ken Leung appear as project astronauts Olesya Ilyukhina and Yao Li-Jie, respectively. The cast is rounded out by Liz Kingsman as Shapiro, Orion Lee as Xi, and James Ortiz, who brings to life a unique alien entity Ryland dubs Rocky.
(Source: Ars Technica)