Ryan Gosling Leads Sci-Fi Survival Drama, Project Hail Mary
Ryan Gosling, stuck in space, with no clue how he got there… that’s the premise of the upcoming new sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, based on the book of the same name from 2021. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street, the Spiderverse movies), it stars Gosling as an astronaut who awakens somewhere in the universe and must quickly piece together what happened to him and where he needs to go next. It’s set to release sometime in 2026- here’s all you need to know:
What is Project Hail Mary about?
Ryan Gosling has already played an intrepid astronaut before in First Man back in 2019, but while that was based on the very much real exploits of Neil Armstrong, Project Hail Mary is based on Andy Weir’s sci-fi novel, which was positively received by critics and recommended by the likes of Barack Obama and Bill Gates. The setting is the Tau Ceti system, a real-life solar system not too different to our own, aboard a spacecraft as Ryland Grace (Gosling) suddenly wakes from a deep sleep. Amnesia and confusion have set in, as Ryland has completely forgotten who he is or what his mission was when he set off into space. As he gets up and moves around the ship, he realises that he is the only person still alive on the ship, and that something seems to have gone very wrong.
Alone and isolated, Ryland decides to look for answers, as he appears to have been sent into space after a disaster on Earth, and sets out a plan to find his way back to civilisation. If the plot sounds a bit like The Martin starring Matt Damon from a decade ago, it’s because the book is written by the same author- but don’t expect a simple rehash. Meanwhile, joining Gosling in the cast is Anatomy of a Fall actress Sandra Hüller, who plays the head of the project that sent Ryland into space. Also starring in the cast are Milana Vayntrub (This Is Us), Lionel Boyce (The Bear), and Ken Leung (Industry).
The trailer begins with a bearded Ryland awakening from his coma and protesting that he’s not an astronaut, paralleling a flashback that shows him chosen for the “Hail Mary” project that will attempt to save humanity. It’s received plenty of buzz online, though there’s still a while before the film is set to release on 20th March 2026.
