“Project Hail Mary,” an adaptation of a 2021 book by the same name, released on March 20, 2026. It became the second-highest grossing film of the year so far, earning $317 million with a budget of $200 million. This movie is the second time an adaptation of an award-winning science fiction book by Andy Weir has had major success, with the first being “The Martian,” which released in 2015.
One of the greatest strengths of Weir’s work is its scientific accuracy, which was nailed in the novel, but simply did not have the time to be fully explored and explained in the theatrical release. The true greatest strength of Weir’s work, however, is the expression of human spirit and resolve to overcome adversity, which is shown almost perfectly in “Project Hail Mary.”
The 2026 film is not the book, but that is not a critique, as it makes the best choices for each scene with the comparatively short time the movie has to tell a compelling story. The movie is in no way off-putting to fans of the original work and is a great entry point into science fiction as a genre. While box office earnings do not tell the whole story, its title as second highest grossing film of the year so far is deserved.
The story follows Ryland Grace— played by Ryan Gosling— a science teacher turned astronaut who works to uncover the mystery of why Earth’s sun is dimming, something that will lead to catastrophe as crops die and global temperatures decrease.
Ten light years away is a single star that seems unaffected by the cosmic virus called Astrophage— or “star eater” in Greek— and so a mission with three crew members is launched to investigate.
Beyond science, this movie is about hope and cooperation and takes the stance like other science fictions stories, such as the “Three Body Problem” by Liu Cixin, that humanity can come together in the face of something greater.
The spaceship, the Hail Mary, is a speck of white in a black expanse, but the movie never feels dark. The visuals capture the bizarre beauty of the cosmos in a fantastic color palette that show beyond the spectrum of visual light. The cinematography makes this movie an experience benefited by the large screen and deep colors of a theater.
Arriving at the star as the sole surviving member of the crew, Grace encounters extraterrestrial life who appear to be there for the same reason. Much of the movie is about first contact with this creature he calls “Rocky” based on its rocky appearance, and the slow process of two beings learning how to communicate with each other while knowing nothing about the other.
The bond created between Grace and Rocky is the most moving part of the film and continues the themes of hope and collaboration. Their bond is also very humors with jokes that come about from communication mishaps, such as Rocky saying “fist my bump” instead of “fist bump.” Even though they both have a job to do, they have fun together as they learn about each other’s worlds and life before they leave for space.
For the movie to progress, the details of interspecies communication that Weir wrote were shortened. Rather than detracting from the plot, it offered the book as a complementary piece where audiences who wanted more could find it. The theatrical ending is more ambiguous than the novel, which felt mildly unsatisfying, but it is such a small moment at the end that it does not reframe anything by being changed.
Only once did the shortening or omission of scientific explanations feel out of pace with the theatrical pacing. This instance was a scene where Grace understood the findings of an experiment with the Astrophage so quickly it seemed like a jump scare to not see a short montage of science being conducted.
Even though Grace is not alone because of Rocky, Gosling is the only actor in much of the movie and does an excellent performance to make scenes feel full. Because of him, the vastness of space— which in some movies is used as a piece of horror or suspense— feels rather comfortable and works well with the hopeful themes of the story. There are still stakes and tension that push the narrative forward and create some nail-biting moments, but they are placed scarcely and used extremely effectively.
The story of Grace and Rocky’s friendship and the hope for a better future is something that can connect with anyone, making it a movie for almost all ages. It is worth noting that the movie has a PG-13 rating because of themes of death, suicide and a little swearing, but unlike most action movies full of fighting, war and violence, this movie is more appropriate than a Marvel movie for audiences younger than the recommend rating.
The East Side Marketplace Village Cinemas in Moscow is showing “Project Hail Mary” through April 9. The cinema’s schedule has not been updated past that day, but due to the film’s success, it may be shown in select or all locations until the end of April, as was recently announced for all IMAX theaters.
Joshua Reisenfeld can be reached at [email protected]