Ryan Gosling has been one of the most in-demand actors on the planet for the better part of the past two decades, and soon he’ll be humanity’s best chance at survival in Project Hail Mary, the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation of Andy Weir’s popular novel. One of the most anticipated sci-fi movies in quite some time, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s space-age adventure on the 2026 movie schedule looks like it could be one of the biggest and most exciting movies to hit theaters this year. And if it meets or exceeds the potential laid out by its source material, who knows? Maybe it’ll be counted among the best sci-fi movies of all time.
The arrival of Project Hail Mary is mere months away, so let’s get into what we know about the movie…
What Is The Project Hail Mary Release Date
While Project Hail Mary seems like the kind of movie that might do well in theaters over the summer, we won’t have to wait that long for it to land in theaters. The upcoming Ryan Gosling film arrives on March 20, 2026.
The Project Hail Mary Trailer
While we still have months to wait for the Project Hail Mary movie to hit theaters, Amazon MGM Studios has given us a pretty substantial glimpse of what to expect from the movie. First, there was the teaser dropped over the summer that offered a small look into the upcoming sci-fi epic, which did a great job of setting the tone. But the real heavy-hitter came a few months later with a full trailer that might answer some major questions.
As seen in the video above, this new trailer follows Ryan Gosling’s Ryland Grace as he sets off on the mission to save humanity before it’s too late, as well as his time back on Earth before he became Earth’s last hope. We also get a glimpse of the new friend he makes as he attempts to solve this life-or-death puzzle.
What Is Project Hail Mary About?
While the adaptation of Andy Weir’s The Martian, which primarily focused on Matt Damon’s Mark Watney spending time alone on Mars working on all types of experiments to stay alive long enough to be rescued after being left for dead by his crew, Project Hail Mary will see Ryan Gosling’s character Ryland Grace alone deep in outer space after being sent on a mission to another star in hopes of saving Earth.
The story follows a science teacher who wakes up in a space shuttle with no memory of how or why he’s there. Over time, he begins to recall the circumstances of his mission, which is to try to figure out the cause and solution to a sun-destroying problem for Earth. He’s completely on his own to do that… well, he is at first. As the trailer reveals, it turns out humans aren’t the only beings trying to solve this problem.
The Project Hail Mary Cast
When the movie hits the big screen, it will feature a cast led by Ryan Gosling, who’s also one of the producers. The Barbie and The Fall Guy star won’t be alone in this space adventure. Let’s meet the rest of the Project Hail Mary cast.
Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace
Ryan Gosling will be taking on the role of Ryland Grace, a man tasked with traveling to deep space in hopes of saving humanity. This won’t be Gosling’s first space adventure, as he previously played Neil Armstrong in 2018’s First Man.
Sandra Huller as Eva Stratt
Sandra Huller, who received a lot of praise (and an Oscar nomination) for her performance in Anatomy of a Fall, also plays a key role in Project Hail Mary. In the upcoming sci-fi flick, Huller plays the administrator who is in charge of the mission sending Ryland deep into space.
Milana Vayntrub
Milana Vayntrub, who some may recognize as Lily in various AT&T ad campaigns over the past decade, is also among the cast In a June 2025 Instagram post, the actress said she was a “tiny part of this future classic of a movie.”
Also set to appear in Project Hail Mary are Liz Kingsman, Orion Lee, Ken Leung, Lionel Boyce, and James Ortiz, the latter of whom provided the puppetry work for Rocky, per IGN.
Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary Was Published In May 2021 And Later Became A New York Times Best Seller
Some books exist for years or even several decades before they are adapted for the screen, but that wasn’t the case with Project Hail Mary, as Andy Weir’s fourth novel was released about five years ago. The sci-fi novel about an astronaut hurtling through space with the weight of humanity on his shoulders and a difficult task ahead of him was first published back in May 2021 and became a massive hit shortly thereafter.
Much like the film rights for Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, which Universal Studios acquired before the book was even published, Project Hail Mary’s rights were purchased by MGM a little more than a year before the sci-fi novel hit bookshelves. In March 2020, Deadline reported that the studio, which was acquired by Amazon one year later, paid a seven-figure amount to turn the then-unpublished novel into a movie, which really shows how excited they were to make this thing a reality.
Project Hail Mary spent a total of nine weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list. It was later named GoodReads Best Science Fiction novel of 2021, in addition to numerous other accolades. If you watched the trailer and think the story looks good, there’s still time to read Andy Weir’s novel before the movie comes out.
Phil Lord And Chris Miller Are Co-Directing
Project Hail Mary won’t just have big talent in front of the camera when Ryan Gosling leads the cast, as one of the most successful filmmaking duos of the 21st century will be sitting behind the camera for this one. Phil Lord and Chris Miller are the directors behind the adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel.
Over the years, Lord and Miller have directed movies ranging from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (another book adaptation) to 21 Jump Street (and its sequel, 22 Jump Street) to The Lego Movie. They’ve also had a hand in crafting some of the best Spider-Man movies, including the Spider-Verse films. If we were to sum up their best movies in one brief description, we might say they’re best at handling stories that involve suspense, a bit of humor and heart, and above-average stakes. That very much applies to Project Hail Mary, so it seems like this adaptation is in the right hands.
Drew Goddard Has Said Fans Of The Martian Will Like What He And Lord & Miller Are ‘Cooking Up’
Just like the acclaimed space movie The Martian, which was adapted to the screen by Drew Goddard, the Project Hail Mary screenplay was penned by the prolific screenwriter and filmmaker. When speaking with Variety in early 2025, Goddard revealed that fans of the 2015 Ridley Scott Golden Globe-winning sci-fi adventure film will like what’s to come, saying:
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.
The tease that The Martian fans should be excited for Project Hail Mary is some very good news.
The Academy Award Winning Cinematographer From Dune Is The Director Of Photography
Adding to the talent working behind the scenes of Project Hail Mary is Greig Fraser, the Academy Award-winning cinematographer from Dune, who serves as the director of photography, according to The Wrap.
On top of working with Denis Villeneuve on his acclaimed epic and its 2024 sequel, Fraser’s credits include movies like The Creator, The Batman, Rogue One, Zero Dark Thirty, Foxcatcher, and Lion. He’s also set to shoot Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II in the near future.
What Will Project Hail Mary Be Rated?
Amazon MGM Studios hasn’t said anything about the Project Hail Mary rating at this time, so for now, we can only speculate. Truth be told, a PG-13 rating seems like the best bet based on everything we’ve seen from the film. The 2015 adaptation of Andy Weir’s The Martian was rated PG-13 upon its release, and based on the tone and subject matter of the book, it seems just as likely that Project Hail Mary will aim for that as well.
How To Watch The Martian While You Wait For Project Hail Mary
With around six months between now and the Project Hail Mary release, now would be a perfect time to go back and revisit the last time one of Andy Weir’s novels hit the big screen. At the time of this writing, you can check out The Martian (for the first time or on a revisit) with a Paramount+ Subscription. But if you want to own the movie, either digitally or on physical media, you can pick up a copy over at Amazon, where you can also buy all of Weir’s various sci-fi novels.
- Stream The Martian On Paramount+.
- Rent/Buy The Martian on Amazon.
- Buy The Martian on 4K Blu-ray on Amazon.
Expect to hear more about Project Hail Mary in the months leading up to its March 2026 debut. But that won’t be the only space adventure for Ryan Gosling in the next couple of years, as he is set to lead Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, one of the most anticipated upcoming Star Wars movies.
Does Andy Weir Have A New Book Coming Out?
If you’re wondering when Andy Weir’s next book comes out, we’re right there with you. Alas, nothing has been announced for the author’s next book as of yet. His last published novel was Project Hail Mary in 2021, and if he has something else on the way, there’s been no official word on it just yet.
What is available for pre-order is the deluxe edition of The Martian. This new edition of Weir’s beloved sci-fi novel hits shelves in May, and features sprayed edges, illustrated endpapers, new cover art and a custom-stamped case.
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