Could "Project Hail Mary" Be Labeled as the Movie of the Century?

Written by: Reese Van Beveren

Project Hail Mary released globally on March 20, 2026, with some critics quoting it as the movie of the century.  The film is based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir, published on May 4, 2021, which follows an amnesiac astronaut named Ryland Grace who wakes up stranded in a spaceship millions of miles away from Earth. Sent to complete the mission of saving humanity from a star-eating microbe called astrophage, Grace uses his slowly returning memories and past scientific knowledge to complete this difficult task. During his mission, Grace meets a spider-like alien, who he nicknames Rocky. By communicating with each other through advanced technology, Grace discovers Rocky is also stranded alone in space to save his home planet from the astrophage destroying the sun. Grace and Rocky have to combine forces to solve the issue, and they face many great challenges together. The movie captures this plot perfectly, raising the standards for book-based movies. 

Rocky in Project Hail Mary.

The movie stars the award-winning actor Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, most famous for his role of Ken in the Barbie movie, Noah Calhoun in The Notebook, and Sebastian Wilder in La La Land. Not only did Ryan act in the movie, but he also served as the producer. He was heavily involved in the development of the project, and in the midst of acting, pitched his own ideas to improve the dialogue and scenes. Meanwhile, Rocky was actually a real puppet led by James Ortiz, an American puppet designer, puppeteer, actor and director, and mixed with digital animation to create a 50/50 blend that fully captures the character. Another notable supporting actor in the film is Sandra Hüller who played Eva Stratt, the authoritative leader of the Petrova Taskforce and the antagonist of the story. Sandra’s performance brought a new light to the character. Where she was seen as a ruthless leader who saw that her workers were expendable in the book, viewers could see the true emotional impact the mission had on Eva in the movie, where she had to face the harsh decision between saving a few people or saving the world. Overall, the acting in the movie was incredible, and there wasn’t a single, noticeable weak link in the cast.

The cover for Andy Weir's book, adapted by the movie.

Production of the epic sci-fi movie officially started on June 3, 2024 and wrapped on October 26, 2024. The first trailer was released on June 30, 2025, catching the attention of viewers around the world. People already expected the movie to be good, but it was more remarkable than anyone could’ve imagined. The $200 million put into the film proved to create amazing results, and not a single dollar went to waste. Most book lovers can agree that the book is typically better than the movie adaptation, but Project Hail Mary was arguably just as good, or even  better than the book. The production famously used zero green or blue screen, relying rather on practical sets, LED volume walls, VFX, and puppets to create the environment. The movie scored a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, earned an A+ status and raked in over $80 million at the North American box office alone on its opening weekend - the best opening for Amazon MGM studios of all time! Not only was the movie successful in the box office, but it

also boosted interest in Andy Weir’s book.

Thrilling yet heartfelt, the movie kept viewers on the edge of their seats at movie theaters worldwide, and those seats will be filled up until the film's final day in theaters. The movie is expected to land on online streaming services around August or September, but in the meantime, catch the movie in theaters before it’s too late. Project Hail Mary is the perfect family movie that everyone can enjoy on a movie night, but most will warn that it is definitely a tear-jerker that won’t leave a single dry eye. Whether you're interested in sci-fi movies or not, Project Hail Mary will not disappoint!