‘Project Hail Mary’ trailer
The trailer for Amazon MGM Studios’ space adventure ‘Project Hail Mary’ starring Ryan Gosling. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
It’s not often we get high-quality popcorn movies these days – movies that are not only pure entertainment, but also extremely well-made, especially in the post-COVID era. Only a handful of movies come to mind: “Top Gun: Maverick,” the “Dune” movies, the first “Wicked,” “F1.”
Luckily, we can add one more to the list: “Project Hail Mary.”
Based on the 2021 book by “The Martian” novelist Andy Weir, “Project Hail Mary” follows Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), a former biologist turned high school physics teacher who is sought after by European Space Agency administrator Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller). She believes there is a chance Grace can save the planet based on a contradictory dissertation he wrote that excludes him from his peers.
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Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘Project Hail Mary’. (Jonathan Olley © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All rights reserved.)
In the not-too-distant future, scientists observe the sun becoming weaker due to an infectious organism called ‘astrophage’ that is slowly consuming the sun’s energy. Stratt warns Grace that large parts of the world’s population could die in thirty years if they don’t find a solution. Nearly every star in the Milky Way is infected except one: Tau Ceti, located about 12 light-years from our solar system.
The mission, called Hail Mary, is to send a three-man crew to Tau Ceti to hopefully discover what’s keeping Tau Ceti going and replicate it for Earth. Only there won’t be enough energy for the crew to get back.
Stratt wants Grace to go on a suicide mission.
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Sandra Hüller stars as Eva Stratt and Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘Project Hail Mary’. (Jonathan Olley © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All rights reserved.)
Despite his strong fear and resistance, Grace wakes up from an induced coma several years later, completely confused. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that he is no longer on Earth and is the only crew member still alive. Grace has never been to space before and is adapting to spaceship life quite well.
Upon his arrival in Tau Ceti, Grace discovers that he is not alone there. Next to his rather puny spaceship is a gigantic alien spaceship. After some reluctance, Grace accepts an invitation of sorts to meet his counterpart on a makeshift bridge. Behind an atmospheric rift stands a faceless, spider-like rock creature that Grace calls Rocky. The two quickly bond – initially with physical gestures that Rocky can mimic until Grace develops a communication system based on Rocky’s sound frequencies, eventually giving Rocky an artificial voice (played by James Ortiz).
Rocky is in the same situation as Grace. His home planet is also in danger and like Grace, he is the last remaining crew member on his ship. Grace and Rocky find themselves in an unlikely partnership.
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Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘Project Hail Mary’. (Jonathan Olley © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All rights reserved.)
Ryan Gosling is without a doubt one of the most charismatic actors working today. He can do comedy, he can do drama, and he’s always so nice. And you need someone like that for a film that takes place on a solo space mission. Gosling shows off all his talents here, essentially starring as a hero to root for in a sci-fi action-adventure and buddy comedy, while developing an adorable dynamic with Rocky that’s similar to ET and Elliott. It’s one of his best performances.
“Project Hail Mary” is a bold departure from the previous films from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (“21 Jump Street,” “The LEGO Movie,” the “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” saga as producers). According to my friend Evan, who has read Weir’s novel and watched the film with me, the adaptation stays true to the source material, which he says is also comedic. So hats off to screenwriter Drew Goddard (“The Martian”, “The Cabin in the Woods”).
From Oscar winner Greig Frasier’s stunning cinematography (“Dune,” “The Batman”), composer Daniel Pemberton’s strong score, Joel Negron’s fantastic editing, to the production design and visual effects, Lord and Miller have assembled a stellar team across the board. Don’t be surprised if “Project Hail Mary” becomes an Oscar contender in a year.
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Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘Project Hail Mary’. (Jonathan Olley © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All rights reserved.)
The verdict
Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘Project Hail Mary’ is a crowd-pleasing, otherworldly adventure truly meant for the big screen. Gosling delivers a winning performance in an enjoyable film that seemingly comes from a bygone era. And if you can see it in IMAX, definitely do so.
★★★ ½ — WATCH IT NOW
“Project Hail Mary” has been reviewed PG-13 for some thematic material and suggestive references. Running time: 2 hours, 36 minutes. Now in cinemas.
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