Amazon MGM Studios has unveiled a new look at Project Hail Mary, the high-concept sci-fi thriller headed to theaters and IMAX on March 20.
Adapted from Andy Weir’s bestselling novel (The Martian), the film opens on a nightmare premise with an immediately human anchor. Middle-school science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up alone on a spacecraft light-years from home with no memory of who he is or why the fate of Earth seems to be resting on him. As his memories return, Grace begins to piece together the mission and identify the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out, hoping to stop extinction before it becomes inevitable.
It is a story built around problem-solving under pressure, driven by science, improvisation, and the willingness to chase an answer even when every instinct says it is impossible. Then comes the hook that shifts the emotional weight of the premise. An unexpected friendship suggests Grace may not be facing the void alone, reframing the film from a pure survival story into something more hopeful and connection driven.
The project also marks a notable creative pairing. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller bring their character-forward sensibility to material that balances large-scale stakes with intimate perspective, working from a screenplay by Drew Goddard. Together, the trio has a track record of blending sharp humor, momentum, and emotional clarity, an approach that could translate naturally to Weir’s science-heavy but deeply human storytelling.
For fans of the book, the most common takeaway so far is how faithful the imagery feels to the reading experience. Just as notable is the tone audiences are gravitating toward, a story about cooperation and a collective future that makes room for the unfamiliar instead of fearing it.
Alongside Gosling, the cast includes Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, and Priya Kansara. Project Hail Mary arrives exclusively in theaters and IMAX on March 20, 2026.
