From Best-Selling Novel to Major Motion Picture: Project Hail Mary’s Journey to the Big Screen

Scholastic Kid Reporter Aiden An interviews actor Ryan Gosling about his new film, Project Hail Mary. Photo credit: Amazon/MGM.

Author Andy Weir’s best-selling science fiction novel Project Hail Mary has been adapted into a film starring actors Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. The film showcases the story of scientist and teacher Ryland Grace, played by Gosling, on a mission to save the earth. On his journey, Ryland meets an alien named Rocky and, together, they form an unlikely friendship and work to find a solution. 

I had the opportunity to attend a screening of the movie, as well as a press event at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Los Angeles, where I spoke with author Andy Weir, actor Ryan Gosling, and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. 

Scholastic Kid Reporter Aiden An interviews the author of Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir. Photo credit: Amazon/MGM.

From Page to Screen 

Andy Weir published his book Project Hail Mary in 2021. When asked how the book and the movie differ in their storytelling, director Phil Lord said, “They can do similar things, but just in different ways. Andy [Weir]’s book is written in the first person. In the movie, we have to put the camera in places, and Ryan [Gosling] has to do things that make his experience transparent to us.” 

In contrast, the medium of film has the advantage of communicating through images. Weir said, “Movies, of course, can show incredible visuals—pictures worth a thousand words. If I wanted to describe something complicated that’s going on, it can be very onerous because it’s a lot of work to get that into the reader’s mind, but a movie can just show it and it’s gorgeous.” 

Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller explain the main differences in storytelling between books and films.

Lord and Chris Miller spoke about their process of adapting Weir’s book into a film. When they made the movie, Miller said it was important to “figure out a way to capture the spirit and the heart of what the story is about, without all of the details,” given that a movie does not have as much time to tell a story compared to a book. Cutting certain scenes from the book when adapting the story into a movie was a challenge for the filmmakers. “This was a book that had a lot of complications and problems and challenges that made production difficult, but we really embraced all of those challenges and tried to never make it easy on ourselves,” said Miller. 

There were several central aspects of the book that the directors wanted to capture in the film. Miller said, “For this movie, the real heart was the relationship between Ryland Grace and Rocky, and we felt like if we could tell that part of the story and capture the spirit of their friendship, collaboration, and their emotional journey that they go on, then we really have done the book a service.” 

Project Hail Mary author Andy Weir on the set of Project Hail Mary, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Jonathan Olley © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC.

After filming for the adaptation was complete, Weir said he was most excited to see the scene where scientist Ryland meets Rocky on the big screen for the first time. He was interested in how the film team interpreted this scene from his book. 

Lessons to Be Learned 

In the movie, Gosling plays the role of a scientist, teacher, and human hero. He reminds kids, as well as himself, to stay curious when a problem feels too big. Gosling said, “The future, even the immediate future, is not something to be feared, it’s something to be figured out.” He added, “We’re capable of amazing things as human beings.” 

Gosling shared that reading is one way people can connect to the great acts and ideas of others. “One of the great things about reading is that you get to wear the brain of a great thinker,” said Gosling. 

Actor Ryan Gosling shares his memories of reading Lord of the Rings with his mom as a kid. 

Notably, the story of Ryland and Rocky can help viewers imagine how to solve difficult problems and think ahead towards the future in a creative way. “Stories help us prepare for situations that we might face in the future. It’s a way to do a test run in a safe way if something were to happen in the future,” said Gosling. “That, in partnership with learning how to think like great thinkers, it sort of trains your brain a little bit on how to think that way.” 

Everyone can experience the incredible story of Ryland and Rocky in Project Hail Mary exclusively in theaters on Friday, March 20.