Some Key Project Hail Mary Movie Changes Could Make A Sequel A Lot Easier

When Hollywood sees a movie as successful as Project Hail Mary, of course the next question becomes “Will there be a sequel?” The movie from Amazon MGM has accomplished the rare task of earning rave reviews from critics, making loads of cash at the box office and even one-upping the book it’s based on in some regards. As someone who recently went back over Andy Weir’s novel after seeing the movie, I want to talk about how I think the adaptation is subtly leaving the door open for a sequel.

While I think Project Hail Mary’s a very good adaptation of the source material, of course there’s some standout differences between the two mediums. Let’s talk about a couple that stuck out to me regarding sequel potential that I think are worth nothing.

I Think Ryland Grace’s Age In The Book vs. Movie Points To A Possible Sequel

The end of the Project Hail Mary book relatively has the same results as the movie. Ryland Grace ends up living on Erid with Rocky, and teaching a school of other Eridians. But, I noticed an extra detail the book includes that the movie decided not to have: Ryland Grace is kind of old at the end of the novel. Per the text:

Now, I find this especially interesting after watching the movie, because at the end of it Ryan Gosling isn’t walking around on that beach with prosthetic wrinkles on his face. To me, it would make every sense in the world for the movie to adapt this element of the book if they were sure it was a one-off. I have an inkling that the producers decided to keep Ryan Gosling’s depiction of Grace the relatively same age just in case a followup comes along.

The Movie Also Chose To Leave The Mission's Fate More Open-Ended

Another detail from the book’s ending I want to point out has to do with Grace learning that his mission was successful in returning the sun to hot and sunshine-y from Rocky in the same scene. In the novel, Rocky delivers the news to Grace and he breaks down in happy tears. As the book puts it:

Now, in the movie we definitely get a bit of this hope by the end, but in a different way. The movie shows Eva Stratt receiving The Beatles and therefore having Grace’s findings and video messages. This allows us as an audience to celebrate the idea that Grace and Rocky did save the world. Sure, from Grace and Rocky’s side, we can guess that since Erid remains habitable that they know they were successful, but I think the movie deciding not to have a moment like the below from the book gives the audience all the more reason to expect a possible sequel:

When I read Project Hail Mary, I really felt a finality to it when Grace realizes that his whole life has been given “meaning”. However, the movie felt more tease-y to me! Of course, I still think the movie ending totally works as a standalone movie, but there’s definitely more of a tinge of unfinished business to it.

What Andy Weir Has Said About A Project Hail Mary Sequel So Far

So, could Project Hail Mary really get a sequel? At the end of the day, it’s really up to author Andy Weir. Here’s what he told ScreenRant about his thoughts a second movie:

Andy Weir is currently working on an untitled standalone sci-fi novel that involves AI. As he brought up, he’d be open to it, but only if he thinks up a “good” idea to follow up the original storyline. There’s of course a lot of pressure that would come with the author deciding to put pen to paper on a Project Hail Mary sequel, and revisit the beloved story between Grace and Rocky with an additional adventure.

On the movie side of things, The Hollywood Reporter said “there are no official conversations underway between Weir and Amazon MGM”, but per insiders, “a sequel isn’t out of the question” but the author would be in the “driver’s seat.” Weir has never done a sequel to any of his previous books before.

The Other Andy Weir Book That Could Be Adapted Before A Project Hail Mary Sequel

Regarding next steps for Weir’s relationship with Hollywood adaptations, there is an adaptation for his book Artemis being developed from 20th Century Studios with the same directors of Project Hail Mary, Lord and Miller, behind it. The 2017 novel is another sci-fi story exploring the first and only city on the moon, called Artemis, and a heist that a criminal known as Jazz tries to pull off on it.

In a recent interview with Den of Geek, Weir said the hold up has to do with whether they “can we get someone to give us a big pile of money to make it”. I’m guessing after the success of Project Hail Mary, piles of money might be more readily given to Lord, Miller and Weir to produce Artemis, but we’ll have to wait and see. For now, I’m so happy the movie exists… and totally OK if it remains a standalone, especially if that’s Andy Weir’s wishes.