Ryan Gosling's Sci-Fi Movie Based On A Best-Selling Novel Gives The Martian A Run For Its Money

After The Martian turned out to be a critical and commercial phenomenon, anticipation is incredibly high for author Andy Weir’s next adaptation, Project Hail Mary. Released in 2021, Weir’s novel of the same name debuted at number 3 on the New York Times Best Seller list and has continued to be one of the buzziest sci-fi books of the 2020s.

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and starring Ryan Gosling, the upcoming Project Hail Mary adaptation is positioned to do more than echo The Martian. The film isn’t attempting to recreate what made the latter movie a success, and judging by Project Hail Mary‘s early feedback from Andy Weir himself, fans are going to be very happy with this adaptation as well.

What Is Project Hail Mary About?

Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace (Gosling), a schoolteacher who wakes up on a spacecraft drifting through the cosmos, with no memory of who he is or why he’s there. As his memories gradually return, he begins to understand the scope of his mission and the scientific problem he has been sent to solve.

The story unfolds as a blend of survival narrative and hard science mystery. Like Weir’s previous work, the novel emphasizes problem-solving, experimentation, and scientific reasoning as tools for survival rather than spectacle.

Crucially, Project Hail Mary expands beyond a single location or situation. While isolation remains a core theme, the novel’s structure allows for a broader exploration of science, discovery, and cooperation, with Grace’s life playing out both in flashbacks and in the story’s real-time.

How Project Hail Mary Is Different From The Martian

Matt Damon in an astronaut outfit in The Martian.

Project Hail Mary has obviously drawn comparisons to The Martian, whose adaptation starred Matt Damon as Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars. Mark is forced to “science the hell” out of the planet to survive until rescue, while similarly, Ryland Grace is stranded in the hostile environment of space, having to use science to not only survive but solve greater issues.

However, Andy Weir has noted that Project Hail Mary was an opportunity to push his science fiction further. While the novel retains his trademark emphasis on scientific accuracy and problem-solving, in an interview with Shelf Media Group, Weir spoke about leaning more heavily into exploration and discovery as the story unfolds.

The Martian was a celebration of human ingenuity under pressure, while Project Hail Mary leans into curiosity, communication, and the limits of what one person can understand alone. That thematic pivot is what allows the later project to stand beside Weir’s earlier work rather than live in its shadow.

Ryan Gosling Is Coming For Sci-Fi In 2026

Ryan Gosling isn’t new to the sci-fi world, as he starred opposite Harrison Ford in Blade Runner 2049 and played Neil Armstrong in First Man. With Project Hail Mary, Gosling continues to shift toward roles that balance large-scale spectacle with introspection and emotional restraint. That combination makes him a natural fit for Andy Weir’s brand of science fiction.

Following Project Hail Mary, Gosling’s next major sci-fi spotlight lands with Star Wars: Starfighter, an upcoming standalone Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy. Production on Starfighter has wrapped as the film moves into post-production ahead of its May 2027 theatrical release.

The first official looks and behind-the-scenes imagery have already begun to surface, and it’s likely that Lucasfilm will start rolling out broader marketing efforts across trailers, posters, and franchise events soon.

Together, the two films stretch Gosling to two very different ends of the science fiction spectrum — one grounded in scientific realism, the other rooted in blockbuster mythology. If Project Hail Mary gives The Martian a run for its money creatively, it could easily cement Gosling as one of modern sci-fi’s most reliable leading men.