The box office hit that is Project Hail Mary has emerged as one of the most-talked about titles from the 2026 movie schedule thus far. Honestly, having seen the film for myself, I totally understand the hype. While many are buzzing about the science-fiction flick, few seem as excited about it as Andy Weir, the author of the 2021 novel of the same name. Weir has been enthusiastically promoting the film in recent months and, during a recent chat, he opened up about what he believes to be the two best scenes.
With Project Hail Mary, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller deliver plenty of spectacle but also some quieter, character-driven moments. On one end of the spectrum, there’s the scene that sees Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) teaching his middle school students about astronomy but, in the same movie, we also see Grace navigating the cosmos. With that dichotomy in mind, it’s appropriate that Weir’s two favorite scenes in the movie vary in terms of intensity. The novelist revealed his stand-out moments to Space.com, saying:
It's kind of a tie. The first contact stuff when Ryland and Rocky are trying to interact with each other and create a shared language. And the other one would be the fishing sequence when they have to get a sample from Adrian's atmosphere, that’s really pulse-pounding.
Both of the scenes Andy Weir discusses are definitely some of the best moments in the movie. First off, the sight of Ryland trying to communicate with the extraterrestrial Rocky (who’s definitely not a pet) is both sweet and delightful. The other scene mentioned by Weir involves Grace trying to collect the Taumoeba organism from within the atmosphere of the planet Tau Ceti e (which is nicknamed “Adrian.”) It is indeed a tense sense, and it hits hard due to the stakes that have been established at that point in the story.
With that in mind. Lord, Miller, Gosling, James Ortiz (the skilled puppeteer behind Rocky) and co. all deserve their flowers for successfully bringing this cosmic tale to the big screen. It goes without saying, though, that a lot of credit should go to Weir, who really knows how to spin funny, intriguing and dramatic stories set in space. Weir’s storytelling prowess aside, it’s just been delightful to see him promote the film and share some interesting anecdotes, including his take on crafting the OG novel’s ending and what it’s like seeing the handsome Gosling up close.
All the while, Project Hail Mary’s box office run has yielded a worldwide haul of $639 million against a reported net budget of around $200 million and a gross budget of $248 million. Given those receipts, it’s been speculated as to whether a sequel could be made at some point. Weir hasn’t actually written a follow-up book at this point but, as far as the movie adaptation goes, the changes made from the novel could make the process of crafting a sequel easier.
Right now, though, I’m just glad Andy Weir seems to be content with PHM as it currently stands. His recent comments about his favorite scenes even have me thinking about my own experience watching the film in IMAX and, man, I can’t wait for the moment I’m able to watch it again.
Project Hail Mary is still playing in some theaters, so check it out now if you haven’t already. Also, be sure to read up on upcoming book-to-screen adaptations that are set to hit cinemas later this year.
