2026’s Most Exciting Sci-Fi Was “Impossible” To Make for 2 Reasons

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2026 promises several exciting science fiction movies, but Project Hail Mary is generating the most buzz. Starring Ryan Gosling, the film is based on Andy Weir’s popular novel and follows Ryland Grace’s desperate mission to save the planet. Early trailers suggest this will be the most ambitious project yet for directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, blending impressive visuals with a moving story. The footage reveals Project Hail Mary was a huge and challenging undertaking for the filmmaking team.

In a conversation with Empire, Lord and Miller talked about the difficulties of creating Project Hail Mary. Lord mentioned dealing with complex issues like fluctuating gravity, crafting a compelling story largely focused on a single character for extended periods, and making an emotional connection through scenes involving microbes and scientific experiments. He emphasized that the story’s success hinged on the development of a believable friendship between two characters.

Miller highlighted how difficult it was to bring the character of Rocky, the alien Ryland befriends, to life. He explained that Rocky’s unusual appearance – looking like a pile of rocks – is what makes the book so captivating, and that the biggest challenge for the movie is getting audiences to connect with such a strange creature.

The Martian Is Proof Project Hail Mary Can Work

Fans of science fiction will likely remember that Project Hail Mary isn’t the first of Andy Weir’s novels to become a movie. He also wrote The Martian, a major success in 2015. That film earned over $630 million worldwide and received critical praise, including seven Academy Award nominations like Best Picture and Best Actor. Whether Project Hail Mary will achieve similar success remains to be seen, but early promotional materials are intentionally drawing comparisons to The Martian, suggesting that this new story also has the potential to be a fantastic film.

Both The Martian and Project Hail Mary faced similar hurdles in their storytelling. The Martian centers on an astronaut accidentally left behind on Mars, and much of the film focuses on his solo struggle to survive and find a way home. This type of movie is difficult because it relies heavily on a single performer with limited interaction with other characters. If the actor can’t keep the audience engaged, the film can feel slow. Luckily, Matt Damon successfully played a likable and relatable character in The Martian, making it easy for viewers to support his efforts.

One of the strengths of Project Hail Mary is its excellent casting, particularly Ryan Gosling. He’s proven himself to be a versatile actor, successfully tackling diverse roles in films like the musical La La Land, the comedy Barbie, and the dramatic First Man. This range meant he was well-equipped for the demands of this sci-fi project. Gosling clearly seeks out challenging roles, so the idea of leading a big film alongside an alien puppet – described as a rocky pile – likely appealed to him. His character, Ryland Grace, seems poised to be similar to Matt Damon’s beloved Mark Watney, a character audiences will naturally root for.

The biggest difference between The Martian and Project Hail Mary is that the former didn’t require audiences to accept an alien creature as a key character. The Martian focused on a human crew working to rescue one of their own. However, sci-fi films have proven time and again that audiences can embrace non-human characters. For example, Yoda is central to The Empire Strikes Back, which is considered one of the best sequels ever made. Making any movie is hard, and Project Hail Mary certainly faced its own hurdles, but there’s no reason to think it won’t be a success.

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2025-12-18 20:45