Project Hail Mary (2026)

March 9, 2026 (Empire Leicester Square)March 20, 2026 (United States)

March 9, 2026 (Empire Leicester Square)
March 20, 2026 (United States)

Project Hail Mary is a 2026 American science fiction adventure film produced and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and written by Drew Goddard, based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir. It stars Ryan Gosling (who also produced the film), Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, and Lionel Boyce. The film follows the story of Ryland Grace, a man who awakens on an interstellar spacecraft with no memory of how he came to be there.

Project Hail Mary premiered in London on March 9, 2026, and was released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios on March 20, 2026. The film received critical acclaim for its screenplay, visuals, soundtrack, and Gosling's performance, and has grossed $77 million.

Storyline

Ryland Grace awakens from a coma on a spacecraft. Initially erratic with retrograde amnesia, Grace discovers that he is the sole survivor of three, and that he is light years away from Earth in a distant star system.

Grace slowly remembers that he is a middle school science teacher and former molecular biologist. Scientists observe the Sun dimming, coinciding with the formation of an infrared line from the Sun to Venus called the Petrova line. The dimming, caused by a microorganism known as Astrophage, will result in a catastrophic global cooling of Earth within 30 years. Government agent Eva Stratt asks Grace and other scientists to study Astrophage.

Grace discovers that Astrophage is a cell which is impenetrable to any form of electromagnetic radiation, and that it breeds via carbon dioxide from Venus and energy from the Sun. Others find Astrophage to be a very effective, if volatile, fuel source. Grace learns that Astrophage has infected all nearby stars except Tau Ceti. Stratt discloses Project Hail Mary, a plan to send a crew on a suicide mission to Tau Ceti. Humanity can only produce enough Astrophage as fuel for a one-way trip, but the Hail Mary spacecraft will carry probes to send the crew's findings back to Earth.

In the present, as Grace approaches Tau Ceti, he sees an alien spacecraft. The spacecraft approaches Grace and docks a tunnel, made of "xenonite" (solid xenon), to Hail Mary. The pilot of the other ship is a rock-like five-legged alien from 40 Eridani, who Grace names "Rocky" after the Eridian's shape and Rocky Balboa.

Grace deduces that Rocky's species sees via echolocation, and creates a machine translation system for Rocky's musical speech. Rocky explains that he is a mechanic and also the sole survivor of a mission to stop the Astrophage. Neither can survive in the other's atmosphere so Rocky enters Hail Mary in a small, pressurized ball as spacesuit.

In the past, Grace meets the commander, pilot, and scientist for Hail Mary and their backups. A mishap while handling Astrophage kills the scientist and backup three days before launch. With no time to train a replacement, Stratt requests that Grace take the place of the deceased scientists. When Grace refuses to go, Stratt has him drugged and forcibly put on Hail Mary.

Following Tau Ceti's Petrova line, Grace and Rocky find that the planet Tau Ceti e—which they name "Adrian" after Rocky's mate and Adrian Pennino—has an organism which preys on Astrophage, preventing it from exponentially reproducing and dimming Tau Ceti. After learning that Grace cannot return home, Rocky offers enough Astrophage to refuel Hail Mary. While gathering the organism from the upper atmosphere of Adrian, a fuel leak causes an uncontrollable spin which renders Grace unconscious. Rocky breaks his spacesuit and saves Grace, but is severely injured. While Rocky recovers in hibernation, Grace finds a way to breed the Astrophage-consuming organism, which he calls "Taumoeba". Rocky revives, and he and Grace part as friends.

During the trip to Earth, Grace discovers that Taumoeba has evolved the ability to pass through their xenonite containers and is eating his fuel. Grace fixes the problem on Hail Mary, but realizes that Rocky’s entire ship is made of xenonite, which will allow the Taumoeba to eat all of his fuel. Left with the choice of returning to Earth or saving Rocky and his homeworld, Grace chooses to save his friend, sending Taumoeba and his research to Earth via the probes.

The probes deliver to humanity what it needs to kill Astrophages. Eridians create a biodome on their planet for Grace to live in. Rocky tells him that that Eridian scientists have finished preparing Hail Mary to return to Earth. While contemplating the news, Grace begins another day of teaching science to Eridian children.

Movie Trailer

  • Project Hail Mary (2026) (Trailers)

Sound Effects Used

Image Gallery

  • Project Hail Mary (2026)/Image Gallery

Audio Samples

External Links