‘Project Hail Mary’ Trailer: Ryan Gosling, Untrained Astronaut

In the novel titled “Project Hail Mary“, an unlikely champion emerges as Earth’s sole hope for survival. This extraordinary individual goes by the name of… Ryan Gosling, who has traded his days on the beach for a new adventure in space.

The upcoming movie, derived from a novel by Andy Weir (the writer of The Martian), features Gosling as a modest science educator who unintentionally becomes part of a final attempt to prevent Earth’s destruction. He finds himself stranded on a spaceship far from Earth with minimal astronaut training. The fate of the planet now rests on his shoulders, along with a new companion, as they work together to unravel a secret that’s causing our Sun’s demise.

The movie is helmed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, renowned for their work on “The LEGO Movie,” the “21 Jump Street Series,” and more recently, the “Spider-Verse” films. They had initially been tapped to direct the Han Solo film, but departed due to creative disagreements with Lucasfilm. Now, it seems they’ve found their outer space adventure project at last – and interestingly enough, it revolves around a lone character!

Watch the Project Hail Mary trailer below:

Here is the film’s official synopsis:

Spacecraft-bound educator Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) stirs to consciousness in a cosmic vessel, far from home with no clue about his past or the circumstances that led him there. As fragments of his memory resurface, he starts unraveling the enigma surrounding an unusual substance that’s causing the sun to fade away. Utilizing his scientific acumen and out-of-the-box thoughts, he aims to avert impending extinction for Earth. However, an unexpected bond forms, suggesting he might not have to face this challenge solo.

Project Hail Mary is scheduled to open in theaters and IMAX on March 20, 2026.

The Best Sci-Fi Films of the Last 10 Years (2015-2024)

10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

In simple and engaging terms, director James Gunn skillfully wrapped up the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. His final film offers a perfect blend of large-scale action, quirky alien visuals, and deeply engaging characters that leave viewers deeply invested. By the end of Volume 3, Rocket, played by Bradley Cooper, transformed from a Marvel B-lister into one of the company’s most intriguing and tragic heroes. In a sea of average Marvel movies, Gunn made creating an MCU film appear effortless, adding a touch of humanity to a story about sentient alien raccoons – a rarity in such tales.

9. The Wild Robot (2024)

Reflecting on the profound impact of stories in unexpected settings, I must confess that it’s hard to imagine anyone remaining dry-eyed throughout “The Wild Robot,” a captivating and emotional animated sci-fi tale from DreamWorks. This story revolves around an advanced robot (played by Lupita Nyong’o) who finds herself stranded on an animal-inhabited island, taking it upon herself to follow her programming instructions by nurturing an orphaned gosling as a surrogate mother. With its picturesque landscapes and dry wit, “The Wild Robot” delivers a profoundly moving message about our world, underscoring the significance of every creature, no matter how small they may seem.

8. The Substance (2024)

This Cronenbergian sci-fi comedy with horror elements stars Demi Moore in an exhilarating role as she experiments with a strange drug called “The Substance”, which transforms her into a youthful duplicate (Margaret Qualley) to rekindle her acting career. This intriguing film, filled with unexpected twists and turns, is best enjoyed on Blu-ray or streaming platforms. Although watching it at home offers an enjoyable experience, nothing compares to the communal viewing in a theater where the audience collectively experiences the shocking depths writer/director Coralie Fargeat goes in her critique of the absurd beauty standards in the entertainment industry. (Warning: The film takes these ideas to extreme lengths.)

In this Cronenbergian sci-fi comedy with horror elements, Demi Moore delivers a thrilling performance as she tries an unusual drug named “The Substance”, resulting in her transformation into a younger counterpart (Margaret Qualley) to revive her acting career. This captivating film is perfect for watching on Blu-ray or streaming platforms. However, if you missed seeing it in theaters, you truly missed out. The shared experience of watching it in a packed theater, as we all discover together how far writer/director Coralie Fargeat pushes her commentary about the unrealistic beauty standards prevalent in the entertainment industry, is an extraordinary sight to witness. (Note: The film takes these ideas to astonishing lengths.)

7. Godzilla Minus One (2023)

In a remarkable twist, the prequel to Godzilla was not only logical but brilliantly executed. By setting Godzilla in post-World War II Japan, his original persona as a chilling symbol of atomic terror and psychological trauma from war was revived. Make no mistake, this Godzilla is truly terrifying. He appears massive, sickly, and his atomic breath is genuinely frightening. However, Godzilla Minus One is not merely a senseless spectacle. It boasts a human protagonist (Ryunosuke Kamiki) who is both compelling and flawed, and intricate subtext about kamikaze pilots that permeates the narrative, culminating in a deeply emotional decision. There’s even a segment reminiscent of a Howard Hawks film featuring a band of seasoned sailors battling against a colossal nuclear-powered dinosaur. If that sounds captivating, it’s because it truly is.

6. Ex Machina (2015)

Few contemporary sci-fi filmmakers have shaped the genre as significantly as Alex Garland, who penned ‘Sunshine’ and ‘Dredd’, and made his directorial debut with the thought-provoking ‘Ex Machina’. This film offers an intricate exploration of the narrowing boundary between man and machine. A gifted programmer (Oscar Isaac) creates the world’s first AI, gives it a female form (Alicia Vikander), and enlists an inexperienced colleague (Domhnall Gleeson) to evaluate its capabilities.

However, this appears to be just a test of wills, but upon closer examination, there is more depth to the characters and Garland’s clever script than initially perceived. In this tale, the protagonist and antagonist are not easily defined. Their roles can change from scene to scene and viewing to viewing. In Garland’s chilling narrative, it seems inevitable that robots will eventually surpass humans. Maybe even before long.

5. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

In a remarkable feat, Blade Runner 2049 continued the saga of one of the most cherished science-fiction tales ever created, without providing clear answers to the enigmatic elements that made the original so intriguing. Director Denis Villeneuve masterfully expanded on Ridley Scott’s vision of a devastated future, seamlessly incorporating advanced technology while maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the initial film. Moreover, Harrison Ford delivered an emotionally stirring performance as Rick Deckard in this sequel, a performance that seems to echo one of Blade Runner’s central themes: Even amidst despair, there’s always room for redemption.

4. Annihilation (2018)

When someone mentions that a science fiction movie gave them goosebumps, it’s typically figurative. However, for me, “Annihilation” made me feel genuinely uncomfortable in my own skin. This film, adapted from the acclaimed novel by Jeff VanderMeer, chronicles a military expedition into “The Shimmer,” an anomalous region in Florida that was altered three years ago by the arrival of a puzzling meteor. Similar to his work in “Ex Machina”, director Alex Garland utilizes science fiction as a means to reflect humanity, a concept he visually represents in the chilling closing scenes of “Annihilation”. The movie as a whole mirrors the grotesque yet beautiful remains discovered by Natalie Portman’s team along the mutating alien walls within the Shimmer: Both are hideous and captivating simultaneously.

3. Nope (2022)

In a more contemporary context, the work of director Jordan Peele stands out distinctly. Although he is not the first to craft both beautiful and chilling sci-fi films, or use horror and science fiction to reflect real-life concerns, it’s rare to find such quality in today’s movie industry. Overwhelmed by sequels, remakes, and high-octane action films, Peele’s artistry appears to be on a level that surpasses most of his contemporaries. In collaboration with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, Peele skillfully switches between breathtaking western vistas and haunting, unsettling visuals (and auditory experiences—oh, the sounds!) that will linger in viewers’ minds for a long time.

2. Dune (2021)

It only took Denis Villeneuve’s stunning adaptation of the first half of Frank Herbert’s cherished sci-fi novel to make me a devoted fan of Dune. The movie, with its grand and epic vision that book fans have always claimed makes the original text unique, finally helped me grasp why so many readers became captivated by this material. Villeneuve managed to take a novel that had left many renowned filmmakers puzzled in the past and turned it into something coherent, visually stunning, and filled with the raw power of the desert (2024’s Dune: Part Two was equally impressive).

1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max: Fury Road stands out as the most outstanding science fiction film of the past decade, possibly even the entire century, boasting not only impressive fight scenes but also profound spiritual and Biblical undertones. In essence, it’s a modern-day exodus story, with Charlize Theron’s character Imperator Furiosa leading a group of heroic women on a journey through the desert, guided by a mad prophet (Tom Hardy’s enigmatic Max). This epic adventure in George Miller’s chaotic world serves as a testament to the fact that science fiction blockbusters can be both exciting and intelligent. If anyone tries to persuade you otherwise, feel free to tell them, “That’s nonsense.

2025-06-30 16:55