Ryan Gosling Wakes Up Alone in Space in First Look at ‘Project Hail Mary’
Ryan Gosling is suiting up for space again, this time in Project Hail Mary, a sci-fi movie based on the bestselling novel by Andy Weir, the author behind The Martian. The first trailer just dropped, and fans are already talking about it.
The film is coming to theaters on March 20, 2026, and is being released by Amazon MGM Studios in the U.S.
In this story, Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a regular science teacher who suddenly wakes up on a spaceship with no idea who he is or how he got there. As his memory slowly comes back, he realizes he’s on a solo mission to save Earth. The sun is dying, and unless Ryland figures out why, life on Earth could end.
The trailer starts with a messy, confused Ryland waking up alone in space. Then it cuts to scenes from his life back on Earth, showing how he got involved in this huge mission. At one point, he nervously jokes, “I can’t even moonwalk!” The whole trailer plays over Harry Styles’ Sign of the Times, which adds a powerful, emotional touch to the scenes.
There’s a quick look at Ryland teaching in a classroom, blasting off into space, and later, discovering that he might not be entirely alone out there. He sends a message where he says, “So, I met an alien. He’s kinda growing on me. At least he’s not growing in me, you know, which was a concern for a little while.”
The cast also features Sandra Hüller, known for Anatomy of a Fall, who plays Eva Stratt, the person responsible for leading the mission. Milana Vayntrub plays Olesya, Ryland’s crewmate who didn’t survive the trip. Lionel Boyce and Ken Leung are also part of the movie. Leung is known for his roles in Lost and Rush Hour.
The directors behind this project are Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the same team that worked on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This is their first time directing a movie together since 22 Jump Street. The screenplay is written by Drew Goddard, who also adapted The Martian for the big screen. He’s back for this one, and he’s also listed as an executive producer. Along with him, the producers include Patricia Whitcher, Sarah Esberg, Lucy Kitada, Nikki Baida, Ken Kao, Amy Pascal, Aditya Sood, Rachel O’Connor, Andy Weir himself, and Gosling.
Filming began in the UK on June 3, 2024, and wrapped up in October that year. International distribution is being handled by Sony Pictures.
The first teaser poster came out on a Friday and quickly made the rounds online. Reactions were mostly excited, and not long after, the full poster was revealed. With The Martian being such a major hit back in 2015, it’s no surprise that expectations for Project Hail Mary are high. That earlier film scored a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and became a fan favorite.
Back in 2020, long before the book even came out, MGM made a deal to get the movie rights. The company reportedly paid $3 million, according to Deadline, and Ryan Gosling was already lined up to star. Soon after, Lord and Miller joined as directors, and Goddard was brought on to write the script.
There’s still a while to go before Project Hail Mary hits the big screen, but with Gosling leading the way and an alien friend possibly tagging along, it looks like it could be another sci-fi adventure people won’t want to miss.
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