In the official trailer for Project Hail Mary, Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) makes one thing clear: He is not an astronaut. Yet this middle school science teacher is humanity’s only hope.
The sun is dying, and because of Grace’s background in molecular biology, he might be “the only scientist” who can save Earth. Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) recruits Grace to join Project Hail Mary, a mission to explore a star 11.9 light-years away that could provide the answers humanity needs to ensure its survival. “If we do nothing, everything on this planet will go extinct,” Stratt tells Grace.
Set to Sign of the Times by Harry Styles, the trailer features Grace waking up from his coma in space. Eventually, he remembers his mission and forges on. Along the way, Grace even encounters an alien.
Project Hail Mary is not Gosling’s first time playing an astronaut. The multi-time Academy Award nominee played Neil Armstrong in Damien Chazelle’s First Man.
Project Hail Mary also stars Milana Vayntrub and The Bear’s Lionel Boyce.
Project Hail Mary is based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir. If Project Hail Mary gives off similar vibes to The Martian, that’s because Weir also wrote the latter. The Martian was adapted into a 2015 feature film starring Matt Damon. Directed by Ridley Scott, The Martian was a giant success, grossing over $630 million worldwide and garnering seven Oscar nominations.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller helm Project Hail Mary, their first directed feature since 22 Jump Street. Lord and Miller have been working mostly in animation for the last decade, most famously on the Spider-Verse trilogy. Lord and Miller won Oscars for producing Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Drew Goddard, who received an Oscar nomination for writing The Martian, wrote the Project Hail Mary script.
Project Hail Mary opens in theaters and IMAX on March 20, 2026.
